Burning All the Bridges
by fingers-falling-upwards
Summary: After failing his life goal and being forced into a new life he never wanted to live, Sasuke as Ace finds new meaning in an annoying seven-year-old named Luffy. Fast forward ten years; Sasuke faces a new struggle against some old faces. Will he be able to keep Luffy safe? Or will he lose his brother to the manipulative hands of his enemies?
1. One More Time

**Here's anothing fic I've been brewing. I'll update in a week or so.**

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_Chapter 1: One More Time_

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Sasuke looks out at the blue bay of Goa Island. Since arriving in this world, the promise of escape has been the only thing that keeps him relatively sane. His luck in this life is just as good as last life. He has no family, again, except a shitty old man who needs to stop hitting him over the head if he doesn't want to die a violent death. . . So what if Sasuke is a miserably weak ten-year-old with no chakra, if the old bastard doesn't quit soon, then Sasuke will _make _a way.

The lack of chakra has to be the most trying thing of his new life. He doesn't know how to live without it. Since he was a _toddler _he had been training his mind and body to use chakra, but now he can't access it. As far as he understands it, there is nothing of the equivalence on this world, and it makes him even more furious to be here. Sasuke doesn't blame God very often, he believes in fate, but he also believes in free-will. In a way he must because Sasuke made himself. Still, in this world he finds himself wondering who is playing this cosmic joke on him and why they decided to punish him so much.

Not only does he have no proper family, but his father in this world is a royal bastard. As if he didn't have enough issues, hearing about people murmur about how his existence is a sin and that he possesses the devil's blood only makes his time here more miserable. He already found out that apparently his life was meaningless. He died a pointless death without avenging his clan. His single goal was left unfulfilled. He can't help but think his life is incredibly pathetic.

He lets out a long sigh before standing up and trekking through the familiar forest. It's nearly dinner time so he sets out to kill something to eat. Dadan and the bandits are irritating at the best of times, but at least they were better than that shitty old man. He was willing to bring food back if it meant avoiding spending time with the old fucker.

Despite his lack of chakra, Sasuke has adjusted exceptionally well, honing his taijutsu and physical strength, which thankfully, he still possesses most of in this world. Like in the ninja realm, some people are just naturally stronger than others, like civilians. Dadan is pitifully weak compared to him, but his shitty grandfather is more of a monster than Sasuke is. As he leaps forward with his iron pipe and starts attacking a nearby bear, Sasuke actually thinks he might be stronger at this age now then he was in the past. That could do with the fact that he has unlimited time to hone his skills, versus his life before where he would attend classes, relax with family, and follow after Itachi eagerly . . .

He rips into the bear viciously.

Sasuke promised himself a long time ago not to think about that. He couldn't afford to if he wanted to keep calm.

His pipe is bloodier than usual but he ignores that. He'll clean it later when he's feeling a little less violent. For the moment, he grabs one of the bear's legs and starts dragging it back to the bandits' hideout.

Upon reaching the familiar hut, Sasuke is greeted to the unpleasant surprise of seeing Dadan and his surrogate grandfather standing outside of the hut. Shit. Just who he wanted to avoid forever.

The swearing is sort of a new development. He didn't know when it started, but it might've had to do with the old man. He found it on a fluke, but whenever he calls his grandfather a shitty geezer, he easily gets under the older man's skin. There's something incredibly satisfying about the red hue his cussing earns him. Eventually it became a habit. His mother would be furious if she could see him . . .

He throws the bear to the ground and grips his bloodied pipe harshly. It's then that he realizes that there's a stupid looking little kid standing in front of him. He's got black hair and an old straw hat with a red ribbon on top of it. There's a bandage on his face, right next to his massive smile.

"Hi! I'm Luffy. Who're you?"

Sasuke doesn't have a chance to say anything (perhaps for the best because he was planning to reply with his pipe and Garp is here), because his grandfather cuts him off.

"Ace, this is Luffy. He's going to be living with you from now on. Watch out for him."

"What do you mean he's going to be living here?! Don't decide that on your own!" Dadan snaps. Sasuke hears Dogra trying to soothe his leader, and Garp rebutting with his typical array of threats, but most of his attention is focused on the irritating boy in front of him.

Watch out for him? Does Sasuke seem like the nurturing type or something? Because he isn't.

Without a word Sasuke picks up the bear again and moves past the idiot.

"Hey, don't ignore me!" the kid shouts out. And God, he sounds too much like an annoying blond for Ace's liking.

Sasuke moves into the hideout without another look. He doesn't care anymore.

After eating his large pile of meat (and if that hadn't been an unpleasant surprise to find out exactly how much food he had to eat now. He felt disgusting when he first realized it but now it doesn't phase him as much), he exits through the front door and decides to head out to one of the rivers and clean his pipe before the blood stains and causes rust.

He stiffens unhappily as he senses a presence approaching him. A small, very unwelcome presence.

"Hey, where are you going?" The annoying kid has that goofy grin on his face. "I'm not mad you ignored me anymore. So let's be friends."

Stupid kid. He's desperate, so desperate, just like Na—

Sasuke doesn't say a word. Instead he runs forward. When he hears echoing footfalls he grits his teeth and stops beside a tree. With a firm kick he knocks it over and sends it careening towards the younger boy. Seeing the chance of escape is utterly minimal Sasuke turns and continues running.

This probably counts as murder, even he struggles to justify this one, but he just wants the reminders to _stop. _He promised himself not to think about stupid, inconsequential things like Naruto and his past life. Whoever this Luffy kid is, he brings back a plethora of uncomfortable memories. He hears a scream followed by silence. What he _doesn't _hear is the crunching of bones. He frowns, and that's when he senses the kid's presence closing in on him, _again. _

Sasuke could outrun him easily, but he slows down before finally stopping halfway across one of the rickety bridges that spans a large crevasse. He feels the heavy, untrained footfalls of the kid approaching him and he turns around. Sasuke does wonder how exactly the kid survived, but he mostly feels irritation.

As the younger boy closes in, Sasuke can see that his grin has somehow gotten larger than before.

"Hey—"

With a quick sweep of his pipe, the kid is sent spiraling down into the ravine. He maintains eye-contact while falling, and before he's covered by darkness, Sasuke finds a flash of something in the younger's eyes. Sasuke sort of wonders what the kid sees exactly when he looks at him, but the thought is dismissed quickly as he turns and resumes his trip back to the river.

* * *

It's two weeks until Sasuke thinks about Luffy again, and when he does it isn't by his own will, but because the kid is somehow alive and back at the bandits' hideout. Sasuke doesn't know if he should be more angered or irked. Either way, he has a feeling that the kid isn't done making himself an annoyance in Sasuke's life.

He finds out how right he was when the kid pursues him again the next day, wounds still fresh and smile still present. And after Sasuke easily loses his unwelcome tail, the kid chases after him again the next day. And again. And again. And again. And _again. _And Sasuke is beginning to think that perhaps the kid is missing a few screws because how obvious can it get that Sasuke doesn't want the little snot to follow him around?

His tag-along quickly improves, and Sasuke is irritated to note that every day he gets a little farther through the forest. After three months, that's when Sasuke begins employing a few of the ninja tricks he can still use without chakra. Creating multiple false trails, placing objects (massive rocks, bushes, etc.) in the way of the path, running through the trees shinobi style. He employs all of these techniques, so that's why he's so irked to find that the kid still gains ground, just at a slower rate. He'd maybe be impressed if he wasn't so busy being annoyed. Because God, the kid was annoying.

Any time he was within earshot of Sasuke, he's hollering about being friends. After the constant abuse Sasuke puts him through by leading him through the dangerous and hostile parts of the environment should have been enough of a clue. Yet day after day he still comes. Sasuke won't do so far as to end his life early himself. After getting over some of the initial memories the younger boy brings about, he views the situation a bit more rationally. All he really wants is for the kid to be gone already. It doesn't seem too likely to happen any day soon.

That's why he probably shouldn't be as surprised as he is when Luffy actually catches up to him and stumbles into Grey-Terminal. All he can think of though is how determined the little kid is, and what an irksome trait that is. As though his new life isn't ridiculous enough already.

Sabo, (who Sasuke thinks of as an acquaintance more than a friend, as an end to getting more treasure,) is equally stunned.

"How the hell did he catch up to you?!"

It's a fair question because Sasuke trained in covert action and espionage for the vast majority of his life.

"Hi! Are you Ace's friend too? Do you want to be my friend?" the younger boy asks in a rush of syllables.

"No way in hell," Sabo replies.

"Well, what's your name? I'm Luffy!"

"Sa— I'm not telling you!"

Sasuke snorts inwardly. Little kids were so stupid sometimes.

For the first time since coming across the runt, he finally turns around and addresses him.

"What do you want?"

"This is where you go? This is so cool! Can we be friends?"

"No."

"Ace, he probably heard about the treasure," Sabo whispers to him, and Sasuke stares at the younger boy speculatively. There was shinobi procedure for things like this. When there's a witness, dispose of them immediately.

"Let's tie him up." Sasuke easily grabs the little runt before he can escape and Sabo procures some rope. It's then that Sasuke finds how the kid has survived so many near death experiences. He's made of _rubber _of all things. This world is really fucked up. Once the youngest boy is successfully attached to a nearby tree, Sasuke can begin his disposal.

"We should probably kill him," Sasuke decides dryly, before smirking as he sees Sabo grinning.

"Yeah, you're probably right." The blond pulls out a small dagger and holds it for a few moments before his expression falters.

"I— I've never killed anyone before. You do it!" He shoves the dagger Sasuke's direction. The ex-shinobi picks it up and twirls it expertly.

"Okay," Sasuke says easily. "It's been a while since I've killed anyone."

Sabo chuckles, and Sasuke knows the blond probably thinks he's joking. He's not.

"What?! I don't want to die! Please don't kill me!"

"Shut up, you're making a racket!" Sabo snaps before turning towards his friend.

"Hurry up, Ace, before everyone in Grey-Terminal knows where we are."

But Sasuke is frozen where he stands. It's also been a while since he's heard anyone beg for their life, and longer still since he's last killed a child. Because that's what the younger boy it— just a child.

—_like he had been, lying on the floor near the pools of blood—_

"Shit, I think I hear someone!" Sabo hisses urgently, and Sasuke shakes the daze from his head. Frowning, Sasuke uses the dagger to free the kid. He needs more time to decide what to do with him. Besides, he figures if empirics matter at all, the kid will still be around. They all dart towards the nearby bushes and cover themselves up.

As they suspected, Porchemy and his gang are coming closer to them.

The men's detective skills suck something fierce though, so Sasuke isn't concerned about the pirates finding them at all. That is, until he hears the rustling of bushes and sees his tag-along trip on something somehow and fall into plain sight. Porchemy is quick to pick the brat up. Sasuke rolls his eyes inwardly. How stupid could you get?

"Ace! Ace! Help me!"

Apparently even stupider thans Sasuke expected, as the twerp kept calling out his name. Porchemy jumped on him, as expected and started grilling him on his relationship to Sasuke.

"He's my friend!" Luffy exclaims, before continuing more pensively. "Although he did just try to kill me."

Sabo facepalms beside Sasuke.

"Friends, eh?" Porchemy says mockingly. "Well then, do you know where they hid the treasure they stole?"

The brat's eyes jerk to the side and his lips close up.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. What treasure?" The statement is punctuated by a series of poorly whistled notes.

"Oh God, he's such a bad liar!" Sabo says, voicing Sasuke's inner thoughts. Porchemy seems to agree with them because he snags the younger boy by the collar of his tank top.

"Let's see if we can jog your memory." With that ominous statement, Porchemy and his gang of pirates departed. All the while, the youngest boy called out to Sasuke. When the shouts for help finally faded, Sasuke and Sabo both stood.

"Shit. He's gonna tell them where we hid the treasure!" Sabo says.

"Hurry, we need to move it before he cracks," Sasuke directs quickly. They'll never lose the treasure if Sasuke has a say. It's his only ticket off this stupid island and by extension, getting him away from the shitty geezer.

* * *

Sabo and Sasuke work in an exceptionally efficient fashion, transferring the treasure to a new cache, hidden in one of the tallest trees in the forest. Easy for them to find, hard to spot from the forest floor. It's perfect. As Sasuke is tucking in the last bits of treasure in the orange light of the setting sun, Sabo comes running up to him, wide-eyed and breathless.

"Ace, he hasn't cracked."

"What?" Sasuke replies.

"Luffy, he hasn't cracked yet! They've been torturing him this whole time, but he hasn't said a word!"

"What an idiot!" Sasuke grits out. He grabs his pipe and he and Sabo are heading back through the jungle to Grey-Terminal. Why the hell did he end up having such a stupid kid handing off him? Didn't the kid have any sense? Sure, Sasuke knew that death was the preferred option to revealing pertinent information to the enemies, but this wasn't the shinobi world, and the kid wasn't a trained ninja. Besides, their lives weren't even on the line. The little brat would have to be incredibly stupid if he was going to die just to protect their treasure.

Once more, Sasuke overrated the younger boy's intelligence, because that's exactly what they find when they burst into the small shack. A bloody, pathetic form hangs by rope from the ceiling. The kid's entire body is covered in red splotches, and Sasuke can see some small puncture marks dotting his body. Probably some spiked gloves then. He's proven correct when Porchemy swings at he and Sabo. They immediately split to avoid the blow before rejoining and attacking him with their iron pipes

"Get Luffy!" Sasuke snaps. Sabo hesitates a moment before nodding. With the brat taken care of, Sasuke can focus on getting rid of his latest annoyance. He's let Porchemy live for too long, and now he has to face the consequences. In a swift motion, Sasuke withdraws the dagger from his belt and leaps forward, catching Porchemy's forearm. Sasuke draws the blade sideways, creating a deep gash in the flesh that makes the pirate scream in agony. Sasuke's not done yet. He kicks the feet out from under the distracted pirate, and kicks him once in the face. After that, he moves in for the final kill. He goes slowly, like how Orochimaru taught him, and sees the expected feat in the other man's eyes. Sasuke draws the dagger back. Before he can finish things, a voice rings through the shack.

"Ace." It's the youngest, bleeding boy who blubbers his name. And suddenly Sasuke finds himself startled from a haze he never realized he entered. He turns and sees that as he anticipated, Sabo is pale-faced and weak in spirit in the face of real death. Looking down at his hands, the ex-shinobi isn't surprised by the reaction because he's splattered by another man's blood. Beside Sabo, to Sasuke's surprise, he finds an emotion oddly like concern or compassion in the younger boy's eyes. The sight is enough to pull him fully from his daze.

"You're so pathetic," he says wearily. Sasuke replaces the knife on his belt before grabbing his and Sabo's iron pipes and running out the door. Sabo is right behind him, holding hands with the youngest boy to guide his battered body somewhere safe. The trio runs through the forest, deep into the center until they come across a clearing. There, the kid collapses and starts sobbing. The noise grates on his ears, but Sasuke ignores it for the moment and focuses on the damage done to his pipe when he and Sabo did their initial attack. They used the pipes to break through the wooden shack walls and it shows.

"Ace . . ." Sabo trails off, uncertain of what to say. Sasuke wishes he could say he understands Sabo's reservations, but he doesn't. Killing Porchemy was the logical choice. He just let his instincts get too out of hand. His memories with the snake sannin are incredibly potent . . . The brat wails and wails, and it's finally too much.

"Shut the fuck up!" Sasuke stands and stalks towards the sobbing boy. "I hate pathetic crybabies like you."

"Hey, hey." The normality of his words seem to have eased Sabo a bit. "He's just relieved that's all." They both blink when they realize the cries have quieted and they both turn to the source of the near silent whimpers.

"T-thank you for s-saving me," the boy says in between sniffles.

_'Thank you for saving me?_' Sasuke thought incredulously. After trying to kill the other boy, letting him be tortured, and giving him constant verbal abuse, the brat wants to thank him?!

"Why you—" His fist raises automatically.

"Woah, Ace. He's just trying to thank us. Calm down."

Sasuke glares at the blond and the patronizing tone, but he's mostly confused still.

"Why the hell didn't you tell them where the treasure was?" he finally demands of his tag-along.

"Because then Ace would never have been my friend," is the mumbled reply.

"Why?! I'm awful to you! I ignore you and call you names. And you almost died for this! Is friendship that important to you, or are you just stupid?!" He's never gotten it. Friendship—

"I don't have anyone else!" the youngest boy finally shouts, and Sasuke falls silent.

"I hate those mountain bandits! And I can't go back to the village. If I didn't chase after you, then I would be alone, and being alone is more painful than being hurt!"

Now Sasuke is thoroughly stunned. The wisdom is so surprising from a boy he thought was incredibly stupid. But now Sasuke sees— not stupid, but simple and direct.

Loneliness is something he understands well. Too well. He was older than the other boy when it happened, wasn't he?

"What about parents?" Sasuke asks eventually.

"Don't got 'em."

"Friends."

"Just you and Sabo."

Sasuke tries not to flinch at that. There are more pressing things on his mind though.

"So it isn't as bad when I'm around."

"Yes." The boy nods.

"So you want me to live?"

"Of course!"

" . . . You need me, then?"

And now the kid is giving him the same look Sasuke saw all those months ago when he threw the boy into the ravine. It was understanding. Somehow he knows how alone Sasuke is.

"Yes," the kid— _Luffy _replies, unabashed.

Sasuke tries to soak in the sudden rush of information but finds it incredibly hard to do. He can't remember ever being truly needed. It's a strange sensation, being important to someone's life. Sakura and Naruto would argue that they needed him, were they here. But Sasuke knows the difference well. Because Luffy, this little seven-year-old, it looking at him with the same hopeful desire he remembers feeling as a kid when he looked at—

Sasuke ignores the reminder and focuses on Luffy and his admiration. Though he doesn't understand it, the feeling is . . . nice. Being needed is nice.

"Ace." Sabo gently taps his shoulder, bringing him back to earth.

"Whatever," Sasuke says. Because he knows Luffy already understands.

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**It suddenly hit me one day that Sasuke and Ace are almost as equally fucked up. With that wonderful thought I proceeded into this story. More soon.**


	2. Give Life Back to Music

**Thanks for reviewing,**

**The Shifting, zxrycyan, Black Night Wolf, Allykrau, EternalAngelOfDeath, guest (04/10/15), and especially WDW.**

**Sorry for the wait. But here's a long chapter in exchange.**

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_Chapter 2: Give Life Back to Music_

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After Luffy joins their group (uninvited by him, Sasuke would like to note), he and Sabo do the same thing as ever: hunting, sparring, eating, and collecting treasure. The only difference is that Luffy is there, but somehow the kid manages to change the whole equation. Hunting turns into a strange game of keep-Luffy-out-of-the-animal's-mouth. It's ridiculous to Sasuke how often the kid can mess up and end up getting swallowed by something or other. Sparring is good, if only because of how stupid Luffy looks as he tries to use his Devil Fruit powers. Sasuke smirks and chuckles lowly at a lot of the younger kid's antics. He's so stupid. It's occasionally funny at how outraged Luffy gets after being beaten, but some days, when Sasuke's mood is darker, the reminder of another, loud, immature person is too much for him to take. Luffy, somehow, inexplicably, seems to slowly understand what Sasuke can't even begin to communicate, and these days after getting thoroughly beat, Luffy will look up and smile before eagerly demanding another fight. While Sasuke doesn't understand, he is quietly appreciative.

Another large change would be Sabo's role in his life. The blond had always been a secondary character, someone he spent time with for mutual gain— that mainly being treasure. However, since Luffy joined, Sasuke finds himself making his way more and more often to the edges of Grey-Terminal where Sabo lives. The other boy is the only way to get the human leech that is Luffy to let go of Sasuke. After a few visits, Sabo finally works up the courage to ask if he can live with them. Luffy immediately agrees, which makes Sasuke want to sigh, but he gives in too. Having Sabo around isn't as annoying as Sasuke anticipated. The blond is more mature than most people he knows these days (including adults, like Dadan and the rest of her bandits), and he appreciates the change in pace.

Sabo and Luffy likely view him as being their friend, and Sasuke doesn't see the point in telling them otherwise. Spending time with them, annoying as they are on occasion, is a nice break from his previously training-packed schedule (granted they fight about two hundred times a day each, but that really doesn't compare to his body conditioning routine).

He does get some additional training in when they attack some of the thugs in town. They're nowhere near Sasuke's level, but facing opponents in a more serious environment is good practice. Aside from the thugs, they also tackle some of the larger game of the forest. It's after one of their more successful alligator attacks that they manage to collect the skin and keep it mostly whole. With, what Sasuke thinks is an incredibly shitty disguise, they make their way through the gates of Edge Town and manage to pawn off the skin for a decent amount of money. It seems likely to go to waste because all of them it's around the middle of the day and all of them are starving.

"I'm hungry," Luffy whines. They're in a dark alleyway where they're well out of sight. It lets them get off each other's shoulders for a little while anyways.

"Since we have some extra money, let's eat out," Sabo suggests.

"Ooh! Yes, let's do that!" Luffy crows, and Sasuke smirks a little at the kid's overexcitement. It falters with Sabo's next words.

"Let's get ramen."

"No." Sasuke doesn't even think about the word, it just slips out.

Sabo's mouth opens, to question or argue, Sasuke will never know, because Luffy says,

"Okay."

Sabo blinks. "Do you not like ramen too?"

"I've never had it before," Luffy says, and Sasuke knows he's lost the fight. Something in his expression must give him away because Sabo is muffling a smile.

"I know how to get there. C'mon and get on my shoulders, Luffy," Sabo directs.

"But Ace doesn't—"

"Ace doesn't care," Sasuke cuts the younger off. "Hurry up."

* * *

After getting their ramen, which Sasuke will admit tastes better in this world than the other for some reason, they dash back to the cliffs without paying. Something Sasuke would never have done. But since he's also Ace, he figures it's alright.

When they're safely away, Sasuke decides to inquire after Sabo's suspicious interaction around the stranger in Edge City.

"So who was that man?"

Sabo stiffens slightly before a gap-toothed smile covers his face.

"I dunno who he was. He must've gotten me confused with someone else."

"Liar." Even without being trained in the arts of deception, he's still pretty sure that Sabo's attempt at deception is completely obvious.

"You're lying?" Luffy asks with a tilted head.

Sasuke wants to roll his eyes, but just sticks to staring stoically at the blond.

"I'm not—"

"Don't try to lie to me. I'll always be able to tell."

Sabo looks at Sasuke for a long time until his eye contact falters and he turns his gaze back to Edge City which is alit with the orange hues of the setting sun.

"That man . . . he was my father."

Sasuke stills completely and his breath catches in his throat.

"I lied about being an orphan. I'm actually from Goa kingdom and I'm a noble. I— I ran away though because they weren't like a family at all! They were—"

"Shut. The hell. Up." Sasuke doesn't know where the dark muted words come from, but the next thing he knows his hand is around the collar of Sabo's shirt.

"You have a family?" Sasuke feels anger settling over his expression, and he doesn't fight it. "Why did you run away from them?!"

"You don't know what it was like living there!" Sabo protests.

"Yeah, we don't," Sasuke grits out. "Because we don't _have _families. Luffy has no clue!"

"Listen to me! I was miserable there—"

"You're a spoiled brat!" Sasuke snaps. "How ungrateful can you get?! You—"

"Ace."

Sasuke blinks as he feels Luffy's small rubbery hands trying to pry his digits from Sabo's shirt. He looks down at the seven-year-old whose eyes are blank of emotion. Though he's plenty stronger than the younger boy, Sasuke allows Luffy to pull his hands away. Sabo falls to the ground roughly, but doesn't utter a sound. He sits up with a weary look on his face and the beginnings of tears around his eyes.

"They don't love me," Sabo begins, looking at his boots.

Sasuke barely resists scoffing. No one knows how much their family loves them until their bodies are lying dead on the ground, with Itachi standing above them, looking at him and—

"The only reason my parents wanted me was so I could be married off to someone of higher status." Sabo's words are bitter. "Since I was a kid, my entire life has been educating myself and studying so I can marry a girl from some other family and continue our 'prestigious' line."

That in and of itself isn't something too hard for Sasuke to come to terms with, because he knew every few decades in Konoha, one clan or another would want to strengthen an alliance through marriage. Personally, he never really approved of it, but that didn't give Sabo a good reason to run out on his family, something utterly irreplaceable. His next words do give Sasuke pause though.

"I was just a tool to my parents. A way for them to gain social mobility," Sabo murmurs softly. "I was only worth something to them if I was studying and working on my manners."

And that's something also Sasuke can understand. Because he's been a tool of Konoha's, of Kakashi's, of Orochimau's— he knows all too well the life of a tool . . . and what happens when a tool isn't useful.

Now Sabo starts crying. "L-Luffy, Ace, I'm sorry I lied to you. I just didn't want that life anymore."

"Well, you said you're sorry," Luffy says. "So I forgive you."

Sasuke wants to smack the younger boy over the head for being so _simple. _Because it shouldn't be that simple. He'd lied to them, lied about something so incredibly serious that it makes Sasuke's blood boil. And Luffy, stupid, simple Luffy, just nods and accepts it. It must be easier for him because he's never had a family to begin with, never known the soft touches of a mother and the strong hugs from a father. There's so much he's missing out on . . . despite that, there's no denying that Luffy is happy. It's not the kind of happiness brought out by perseverance and forced optimism, no, it's a warmth generated somewhere within the younger boy. Their lot in life is shit. So how can he be so glad to be alive? Sasuke . . . doesn't understand at all.

Fuck. Luffy's just such a fucked-up kid.

And Sasuke knows it's too late for him to act on his anger and confusion.

"Let's just go stash our treasure," he says. Sabo smiles. Luffy laughs and grins, and Sasuke wonders if he even had a chance to begin with.

* * *

"Ace."

Sasuke twitches, hating the sound of Luffy's pathetic voice. They're in the treehouse after a very long day, both trying to sleep. Well, at least Sasuke is.

"Do you think Sabo'll come back?"

"God, you're annoying." Because Sasuke gets that it's hard sleeping here without Sabo, he already knows that. Sasuke doesn't need Luffy's guilt on top of everything else.

Luffy makes a sound between a whine and a cry and Sasuke gives up.

"Look, Sabo's with his family now. He's fine." The older boy refuses to make eye-contact with the younger as he speaks mechanically.

" . . . I thought we were a family."

Sasuke bristles at the memory the words bring.

* * *

**oOOo**

* * *

The air's full of sunlight, brought on by the early rising sun. Luffy's telling such an outrageous, bizarre story, that Sasuke can only chuckle. Sabo told them he needed to grab something and then he'd join them. Sasuke remembers being curious at the time, but brushing it off.

"Sorry it took me so long," Sabo says, panting as he runs up to them, carrying a bottle of what looks like sake.

"I almost ate Ace I was so hungry," Luffy claims, nodding to himself. Sasuke smacks him over the head.

Sabo laughs and then sets three sake cups on a nearby stump.

"What's with the alcohol?" Sasuke asks as the blond pours the sake.

"The other day when I was in the bar, I overheard some guys talking," Sabo says, setting the bottle down on the grass. "If two men share a drink together it makes them brothers, or so they said."

Sasuke snorts inwardly. He's heard of the concept before, but never bought it.

After a moment, the implication hits Sasuke.

"Wait, what?" Luffy asks, confused.

"If we share this sake, it'll make us brothers for real!" Sabo cheers with a gap-toothed smile.

"Really?!" Luffy exclaims. "So cool!"

"No."

Both of their smiles falter as Sasuke utters the denial.

"But, Ace—" Sabo tries, looking completely distraught and betrayed.

"I said no. I'm not your brother." His voice is incredibly cold, and he can't help it. The last person to claim he was Sasuke's brother almost died for it. The first person still hasn't died for it. Naruto and Itachi are two memories he can never seem to shed from his being. He'll be damned if they make him another pact brother.

He turns and runs away, towards the seaside. As he reaches the cliffs and sees the bright blue expanse of sea and sky, his heart finally slows down. He lowers himself to the ground, ignoring the faint trembles of emotion wracking his too-young body.

There aren't words for how fucked up it is that Sabo and Luffy are asking this of him. They can't _understand._ Maybe this is Sasuke's fault, leading them on by being so nice. He doesn't hate either of them, and maybe even likes them on occasion, but bonds are something he's struggled with for years. It isn't something either of them can fix, nor should they try. Bonds are . . . weakness embodied. Children as young as Sabo and Luffy don't have the experience to understand. Sasuke refuses to be the one to lead them to the truth about bonds. However, he does need to get a hold of the situation. He's let this develop for too long. The only thing for it is for him to sever them before it's too late.

Sasuke's jaw clenches and his hands dig into the thick green grass. He finds the idea harder to swallow than it should be. The relative peace of this place has made him weak.

"_Weakness," _Orochimaru whispers in his ear. "_Should be cut out—"_

The hissing in his ears vanishes when Sasuke hears a break in the brush, and he turns to see Luffy. He's expecting to see Sabo too, but thankfully, the blond seems to have decided to leave Sasuke alone. A wise decision.

"I'm not going to be your brother, Luffy," Sasuke says, trying to stop the conversation before it starts.

"Ace . . ." Luffy says, eyes lit with that understanding the younger always has, and Sasuke doesn't _want _that understanding.

"Why are you here, Luffy?"

"I just wanna talk."

Sasuke makes a short sound of annoyance. Luffy really just doesn't fucking get it.

"Why do you want me to be your brother so bad? Are you that desperate?" Sasuke sneers. "Crying out for attention, you're so _pathetic." _

"No!" Luffy protests before falling into a pout. "I don't even know what being 'brothers' means," he mutters.

Sasuke . . . isn't surprised, as he thinks about it. Luffy's never had family before, has he? The older boy doesn't count their shitty grandfather for anything, let alone being a 'family' to Luffy. The kid will likely never know . . . Sasuke remembers cousins, and aunts, and uncles, and grandparents, and a father, and a mother, and a br—

Useless, brothers are utterly useless when it comes down to it. If Luffy did have brothers, he would understand. But Sasuke wants to save him that pain.

Unaware of Sasuke's ambivalent thoughts, Luffy continues, "Sabo told me I'd get it eventually."

"It's better if you don't."

"Why?"

"Because brothers betray each other." Because brothers kill their entire families, except for Sasuke, leaving him alone, in their blood, with the parting words that Sasuke is _weak—_

"Well, okay . . . then I won't make you be my brother," Luffy mumbles. "But you know, I've never had a cousin before."

Sasuke blinks before coughing. God. There is something so seriously wrong with this boy. And Sasuke too, because all he feels at the moment is a small level of warmth. He tries to squelch the feeling, but the earnestness of Luffy's dark eyes pierces him. The emotion is as persistent as Luffy is, and Sasuke knows he should be severing these bonds, not making them stronger. But well, his life is a fucking joke for sure . . . but it _is_ his life. It's all he really has at the moment— this, and Sabo, and Luffy. Abandoning two thirds of what he has isn't entirely attractive.

He hesitates as he considers the situation more thoroughly. They'll all grow up and leave this island one day, separate, likely to never meet again on the vast cerulean waters. Their dreams and need for freedom guide their future, and no fondness for each other could stop that. If it isn't forever, then their relationship will fade. That's like a natural severance of a bond. And 'cousin' is very distant from 'brother,' he could manage that . . . So for a while, maybe he can just let it be. Maybe . . . he can allow this bond— just this one between he, Sabo, and Luffy. Because it won't be permanent, and Luffy needs someone to watch after him anyways, and no promises made in childhood last forever, and maybe he's just gotten used to having them here, and maybe he wants to have something for a while, and what if it's okay, just this once, what if it's okay?

"You know we're all going to leave this island one day, on different ships, right?" he says after a long pause.

Luffy gives him a 'duh, of course' look. "Well yeah, we have different dreams."

"You can't get too attached to people," Sasuke warns. "They betray you. One day _I _might betray you. Sabo too."

Luffy's brow furrows before he shrugs. "Okay. I won't betray you though, is that okay?"

"I . . ." As he thinks about it, Luffy has never managed to deceive anyone, and something deeper like betrayal may well be impossible. But there's always a chance he'll be corrupted in the darkness of the world. Sasuke certainly changed a lot from when he was first seven-years-old. It isn't unfathomable. Still . . . Sasuke's gut twists at the very thought of Luffy losing his warmth, but faces the thought head on. He won't dwell in denial. Not that Luffy can understand the concept.

"Who knows?" Sasuke eventually settles on.

Luffy frowns heavily. "I know."

"Right," he says, tone placating.

"Cousins then?" Luffy presses.

"You really wanna drink some alcohol, don't you?" he says dryly, a little weakly. He manages a little chuckle when Luffy nods emphatically. "Well go get Sabo then. He has the sake, right?" he speaks wearily. Sasuke wonders why the hell he bothers with the family concept at all— but Luffy's face has lit up. Maybe it's because he knows Luffy will never have a proper family. Being . . . cousins . . . though undesirable, seems like a paltry offering to someone who'll never know better, never have anything like it.

Luffy disappears and reappears moments later, tugging a mutinous looking Sabo behind him.

Sasuke and Sabo have a tense moment of uncomfortable staring (a contest the latter thoroughly loses. Sasuke's glare could peel paint), until Luffy saves the day by taking a swig of sake from the bottle he brought.

"You're doing it wrong, Luffy." Sabo shakes his head before passing out two of the three cups. Luffy and Sasuke both hold them out while Sabo slowly pours sake in them. He proceeds to top off his own cup before placing the bottle down.

Sabo meets Luffy's gaze first before locking eyes with Sasuke again. Though the emotions are tumultuous at best, the blond still extends his cup.

"Cousins."

Luffy nods. "Cousins."

After a moment of hesitation, Sasuke too says, "Cousins."

The trio lightly tap their glasses together before knocking the liquid back. It burns Sasuke's throat more than he ever remembers it doing. But then again, he was much older when he first tried Sasuke before. He snorts as the full juvenility hits him. Here he is, last Uchiha survivor, stealing alcohol with a bunch of little kids.

Kids so desperate to be his brother, to have _family_. . .

As they walk back into the forest to find something to eat, Sasuke finds himself inexplicably guilty. It isn't their fault he's so fucked up. Nor that they don't have the life experience to understand what brotherhood really means.

"I—" Sasuke stops where he is and takes a deep breath. "I just. Can't."

Luffy stops too and nods. "I understand."

Sabo sighs heavily. "I guess I do too."

They don't but that's okay. His 'cousins' understand enough.

* * *

**oOOo**

* * *

The sudden memory just makes Sasuke grip his blanket even tighter.

"He's with his actual family, Luffy," Sasuke says through gritted teeth.

"Oh."

There's a long silence, and Sasuke almost believes that Luffy fell asleep. Were it not for the fact that he's slowly creeping towards Sasuke. The ex-shinobi sighs, but lets the younger boy scoot up close to him, knowing it's the fastest way to get Luffy to sleep. The addition of Luffy's face in his shirt is an unexpected and unwelcome one, but before he can throw the younger boy off, Luffy says,

"Please don't leave me too." Spoken desperately, pleadingly into Sasuke's tank top. And Sasuke's hand stills.

_"If I didn't chase after you, then I would be alone, and being alone is more painful than being hurt!" _The words ring like church bells in Sasuke's mind. He drops his hands around Luffy, and offers him what meagre comfort Sasuke can give. He almost forgot how much Luffy needs him— almost forgot that he _is _needed. It isn't Sabo Luffy proclaimed to need, but Sasuke. The remembrance is sobering enough to drain the ire from his mind.

"I won't," he promises softly, even as Luffy trembles with emotion.

Sasuke doesn't know what will happen with Sabo, but he'll make sure that he's here for Luffy.

Kid's fucked up enough as it is without the abandonment issues.

* * *

Flames lick the edges of Sasuke's shoulders and legs as he tries to pull Luffy through the thin gaps of unburned areas in what's left of Grey-Terminal. Although no longer outright sobbing, Sasuke feels the other boy pathetically sniffling and shaking, but Sasuke doesn't have time to indulge that. If they don't hurry, they'll both die here, like so many others have; if the smell of burnt flesh and the cries from beyond the fires are anything to go by.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Sasuke's body stiffens as he slowly turns. Bluejam and several of his minions are there, thoroughly scorched, and aside from their leader, they all look frightened for their lives.

"What do you want?" Sasuke growls, standing in front of Luffy.

"I think you've taken what belongs to me. Give me back all the treasure you stole." Bluejam must have snapped.

"You're seriously asking about this right now?! We're going to die!" Sasuke's incredulous.

"Then you better tell me where it is." Bluejam sneers and points a pistol at him.

"Fuck you." Sasuke takes a deep breath. Neither he nor Luffy can afford this kind of delay. Even as they speak, more and more of the trash heap is being lit up, eliminating escape pathways. "Look, go to the tallest tree in the middle of the forest. You'll find it there."

"Suppose I don't believe you."

"Suppose you die here instead!" Sasuke snaps.

"Take me there," Bluejam orders.

"Right now? No way in hell."

"Care to repeat that?" Bluejam asks, cocking the pistol.

"Fuck you. No way in hell."

"Suit yourself. I hope your brother agrees." He punctuates his sentence with the click of a trigger being pulled. And Sasuke turns, only to see Luffy has shifted out from behind him and is lined up with the end of the barrel. It doesn't matter how fast he is, Sasuke can't beat a bullet fired practically point-blank.

He watches, horrified, as the bullet makes contact with Luffy's chest, piercing the cloth and digging deeply into Luffy's heart— that's when the bullet keeps digging and digging, extending Luffy's skin a good couple feet. The bullet pops back out, shooting somewhere into the fire. The younger boy collapses, and Sasuke is right there with him, kneeling beside him, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Ace, Ace," Luffy pants, clawing at his chest with a terrified expression.

"Luffy, you're okay." Sasuke catches Luffy's hand before he can hurt his skin. That was close. _Too _close. If Luffy hadn't have eaten his fruit, then right now he'd be—

"I forgot the little shit was rubber. A sword will probably do the trick, right?"Bluejam says, drawing his cutlass.

The relief Sasuke feels quickly morphs into a deep fury that was once reserved only for one man—

Sasuke's eyes dart around the trash heap until they land on a jagged looking scrap of metal about the size of a dagger a foot or so away. It'll be enough.

"You're going to regret this," Sasuke promises as he quickly picks up the metal scrap and stands in front of his still prone brother.

"I am, am I? Really—" Bluejam is cut off by a piece of metal now sticking through his head. The other men gasp and shriek with horror, but Sasuke's not done yet. Running forward, he yanks his weapon from Bluejam's head and turns on the other four men. Most of them are too terrified to block his attacks properly, and those fights are short. The one man who does put up a decent fight has his legs kicked out from under him before the makeshift dagger finds his throat.

Sasuke stands slowly, panting from the exertion. He looks around to make sure there's no one left, and he finds himself surrounded by dead bodies. And red. The metallic taste settles in his mouth as it fills the air. Sasuke can feel it sinking into his hair and underneath his fingernails, a sensation not unfamiliar. And he's suddenly fourteen again, and Orochimaru has his hand on his shoulder. He's pointing to the different prone bodies, and dictating what it is he wants Sasuke to do to them. Stepping forward with a numb and cold mind and heart, _he does_—

"Ace!"

Sasuke barely stops himself from lashing out as Luffy tackles him to the ground.

"Ace, are you okay?" Luffy demands. "Your hands." Looking down, Sasuke sees that the jagged bit of metal has indeed cut into his flesh, but that fact seems distant in the surreal environment. Little seven-year-old Luffy just watched him kill five people, he's caked in blood, and Luffy wants to know if Sasuke is okay? Not to mention Luffy himself was shot.

Sasuke's eyes dart to Luffy's chest. Most of the cloth was torn up by the bullet. There's a bruise there, but Luffy seems to be alright. The relief Sasuke feels is inexplicable. The younger boy starts hacking on the smoke, and Sasuke suddenly remembers the situation.

"C'mon Luffy!" Sasuke orders, grabbing him by the hand, ignoring the pain from his injuries. The two start running through the thick flames.

"Ace! Luffy!" The two start and look around before seeing Magra and Dadan standing a little ways off.

"There you two are!" Dadan says with relief. It's then that she seems to notice all the blood on Sasuke's body.

"Are you—"

"It's not mine." Sasuke's voice is blank.

Both bandits are visibly disturbed.

It's Magra who manages to say, "Uh, well, that's good, I guess."

"Come on, we need to get out of here."

"Right." Dadan immediately grabs Luffy with one powerful hand and starts running again. Sasuke is indescribably grateful as Magra leads them back through the flames into the forest and back to the hideout.

* * *

Things at the bandit's hideout are quiet and grim the morning after the fire. A lot of them are in shock at the cruel atrocity. The action is horrendous, but it doesn't disturb Sasuke as much. He knows that rulers can be corrupt and commit inhumane crimes. It's nothing new to him. The reality of his unpreparedness is new though. He didn't realize how weak and unready he really was. Right now, he's making a strap out of some alligator leather they made a few weeks ago for his iron pipe. He never wants to be caught without it again. If he hadn't have found the metal scrap, well, he doesn't know for certain how that fight would have turned out.

Luffy's nearby, watching two beetles fight each other with rapt interest. Sasuke snorts a little. Despite his most recent brush with death, Luffy sluffs it off easily. Which Sasuke is secretly grateful for . . . Luffy's smiles haven't dimmed despite the veritable blood bath Sasuke created. He doesn't know how Luffy's innocence survived seeing a crime against humanity and then several murders. It did though, and Sasuke allows himself a little smile.

He carefully cuts away a bit of the leather with a knife. Maybe he'll make one for Luffy too. Knowing Luffy though, Sasuke's sure he'll still manage to both forget and misplace his pipe even if it is strapped to him. He could make one for Sabo though—

Sasuke sighs. It's been three weeks since they've heard or seen anything of Sabo. He has a feeling that maybe their acquaintance is actually a passing one, just never meant to be. He hopes Sabo sees now that it's a good thing that they never exchanged that stupid sake and became brothers.

Sasuke is shaken from his thoughts by the sound of approaching footfalls. He turns and sees Dogra running towards the base, breathing very heavily. When Dogra sees Sasuke and Luffy sitting outside the base, his face whitens and he avoids eye-contact. In fact, he walks straight past them and quickly heads inside. Luffy and he exchange looks before following after the bandit.

They find him standing tensely in front of Dadan, still panting from the run.

"What is it?" Dadan asks, brows furrowed.

"It's Sabo," Dogra utters. "He's dead."

Sasuke's mind freezes and he drops the knife he was holding. The next thing he knows he's knocked Dogra over and is gripping the cuff of the bandit's shirt.

"Liar," he whispers.

"Ace!" Dadan thunders.

"Sabo is with his family! Why the hell would he be dead?! You're lying to me! Don't you know how much this'll upset Luffy?!"

"He was trying to get away!" Dogra snaps back, effectively silencing Sasuke. "He went out on the ocean with a boat and crossed the Tenryuubito's ship. They blew him out of the water. I didn't believe it myself when I saw it but that's the truth! I— I'm sorry, Ace."

His voice trailed off to a whisper by the end of it and Sasuke is left stunned, kneeling over the bandit. It's the sound of Luffy's loud pathetic cries that stirs him, but it isn't in a good way.

"Fuck them!" Sasuke shouts. He gets up and grabs his pipe. Fuck them and their stupid royal privilege! Didn't they care he was a civilian, a child? That he had a dream—

_"All people are the same when they're dead, Sasuke-kun," _Orochimaru hisses in his ears. Maybe he's gotten weak, his reaction to Sabo's death should be calm, but it's been a while since he lost a comrade. Well, Sasuke knows just the thing to get him back in the right mindset. After all, he was an avenger.

"Ace," Dadan says, blocking the exit.

"You're in my way," he grits out.

"I'm not moving. Sit down and shut up, you brat."

"I'll fucking kill you if you get in my way, you—"

"Shut the hell up!" Dadan screams, slamming her fist over Sasuke's head. She pins him to the ground and meets his hateful stare full on. "You think you can do something about this, huh? You think you're going to go avenge his death? Tough shit! You're nothing in this world, and they have all the power! There is nothing you can do to change anything!"

"You don't know that!"

"You'll die before you even get there!"

"Dying is better than sitting here and being _useless _like you all!" Sasuke shouts.

"Is dying better than leaving Luffy alone?!"

And Sasuke freezes. His eyes drift over to where Luffy's sitting. The younger boy is trembling and sobbing pathetically, face red and covered in snot and tears. It pisses him off.

Because Luffy is the source of his sudden weakness of resolve.

"Shut up, Luffy!" he shouts.

Magra makes a soothing motion. "Ace calm down—"

"Stop crying or I'll make you!"

"That's enough!" Dadan grabs both of his arms, dodging his responding kicks. She then proceeds to hold him against the tree and calls for Dogra to bring her rope. Sasuke is furious as he pathetically lashes out. There's nothing he can do as she ties his hands first before binding him to the tree. Dadan has seen too many of his escapes to leave any room for error. Her knots are tight, and complex— too complex for Sasuke to undo without seeing them. If he had chakra, then he'd be out of here in seconds. But he doesn't. He's stuck on this stupid world, in a younger, weaker body, forced to watch people die because the government's corrupt, and forced to listen to the wailing of pathetic crybabies—

"SHUT UP!" he yells so loudly his voice cracks.

Luffy's only response is a more pathetic wail.

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! REAL MEN DON'T CRY YOU PATHETIC CRYBABY!"

But Luffy doesn't shut up. He keeps wailing well into the night despite Sasuke's shouting and threats. The wails peter out in the morning, only due to exhaustion.

* * *

Two days pass, and Sasuke loses more and more energy. He struggles to fight against the pointlessness of everything. Senseless, senseless violence . . . maybe it's because of how relatively peaceful the world is, but he'd forgotten what people are really like. He meditates until he's gained sufficient control of himself again, and comes to term with reality. People are evil at heart. They're willing to push others into the dirt, into graves if it enables them to get further in life. _Everyone _is like that. Except for maybe Luffy and Sa—

"Ace."

Sasuke's eyes open slowly to find Dadan standing before him. She looks like shit.

"I have a letter from Sabo," she says after a long pause. "I'll let you down as long as you don't attack any of us again."

Sasuke nods stiffly, more than done being tied to a tree. The bandit undoes the ropes on the tree with her knife. The knots around his hands take more time for her to undo by hand, but eventually, they too are off.

Sasuke flexes his hands, trying to get more blood flow to the numb feeling limbs.

An envelope is shoved under his nose. Sasuke takes it from Dadan's hands before turning on his heels and heading away from the hideout and into the forest. As he walks the familiar paths of his childhood, he opens the letter.

"_Ace, Luffy, I hope you weren't hurt in the fire. I'm worried, but I believe that you are safe. I'm sorry about this, but by the time you read this letter, I'll be out to sea. A lot has happened and I've decided to set sail ahead of you guys. My destination won't be in this country, but elsewhere_."

Sasuke stops for a moment and gives a humorless snort. Sabo told the truth. His destination wasn't in this country, or even this world, but the next instead. He shakes his head and continues reading while resuming his trek through the trees.

"_There, I will become stronger. I'll become a pirate! Let's become pirates with more freedom than anyone else and meet up again someday. The three of us. Somewhere out on the wide, free sea I'm sure someday we'll meet."_

"Not quite," Sasuke whispers to himself.

_"Oh and Ace, it might be strange, but the bond between us is my treasure. I know you said you'd never be my brother. I hope you'll forgive me for thinking of you and Luffy that way anyways."_

Sasuke grits his teeth.

_"Luffy might still be a weakling and a crybaby, but he's still young. I hope you'll rethink becoming a brother with him. God knows he needs one. Well, whatever you decide, seeing as I'll be away, please take care of my little brother for me."_

— Sabo

Sasuke's grip on the paper is so tight he rips it. It tears clean across the middle, and without hesitation he rips it again and again until all he holds is shreds. Having reached the cliffs he promptly dumps the scraps over the edge and watches them flutter down towards the ocean like a flock of butterflies.

"Fuck," he utters, voice weak. Because how dare Sabo? Sasuke never wanted brothers! One was enough— one was _too _much. If only those two idiots just stopped pushing it, maybe they could have made out less scathed, but it was too late.

Sasuke looks towards the blue sky searchingly, angrily. Why does it always have to come down to _brothers? _Every time. If Sabo had just said 'cousins' Sasuke would be okay, bothered, unsettled, angry, but okay. People die, children die— he knows that. Really, he should be content. He was hoping their bond would fade, after all. But not like this though. He isn't ready for this. Isn't ready for brothers—

It's a completely fucked up situation he's found himself in. Even though he resisted. Sasuke tries to comfort himself with the fact that he resisted it. But he never had a say.

The choice was taken from his hands a long time ago. Maybe no matter the life, no matter the reincarnation, he's condemned to the strange phenomenon known as brotherhood.

. . . Maybe he's doomed to repeat it until he finally gets it right.

He takes a deep breath in. His hands clench so tightly that the wounds on his palm reopen, and blood steadily drips onto the grass.

Where does this leave him? One bond is severed. Not by his own hand, nor will. What should he do about the second? He's disgusted with the way his heart hurts and rebels against the thought of leaving Luffy behind, ignoring him again. A humorless, pained snort escapes him. Itachi was right. He _is _weak. Sometimes he just can't understand why he cares for such a stupid little boy. It isn't his responsibility to look after him, nor his obligation. Blood doesn't bind them. But a slight urge always comes over him, to help the other boy. Maybe it's because Luffy is so needy. Normally it would piss Sasuke off to have someone so needy and clingy— but in this world where he has no power, Luffy makes him feel strong. In this world where he has no redeeming qualities, Luffy, impossibly, mistakenly, sees something in him worthwhile. In this world which makes Sasuke question his very existence, if it's even good that he was born when he killed the woman who gave birth to him, his _mother—_ Luffy soothes his doubt and makes him feel _important _like he's worth something.

. . . And Luffy gives him something to live for. After all, he does need a lot of looking after.

With that thought in mind, he walks along the edges of the cliffs until he comes across Luffy, who's lying on the ground, hat over his face.

Sasuke steadily approaches. He then pulls back one fist, and whacks Luffy over the head.

"Are you going to mope forever?" he asks, crossing his arms stoically. Luffy refuses to look up, instead he buries his head further into his old straw hat.

He waits for Luffy to speak, but all he gets is the sound of the wind running through the grass and trees. He's about to hit Luffy again when the younger of the two finally opens his mouth.

"I want to get stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, _and stronger, and stronger_, **and stronger** so I never have to lose anyone again!" Luffy declares, finally lifting his head from the ground. He meet's Sasuke's eyes, and all Sasuke sees is determination and a promise. The look is a familiar one, but for once, the memory doesn't bring him anger. The words slip past Sasuke's lips without him thinking about it.

"To protect your precious people."

Luffy nods strongly before tears build in his eyes. "I don't want Ace to die. Please don't die. Promise me, please."

Sasuke's hands fall to his sides. It's never a promise he's had to make anyone before, and it isn't even realistic, but he finds himself kneeling beside the other boy.

"I promise. I will never die." He takes a deep breath and finally utters the word he's been trying to avoid for months now. "I could never leave behind such a stupid little brother to fend for himself."

And Sasuke's hands are full of crying seven-year-old. Luffy's arms wrap around him tight. Blood from Sasuke's palms spreads over Luffy's skin, and if that isn't a sign of what Sasuke does to everything he touches, he doesn't know what is. But Luffy's grip is tight, uncaring of the streaks of blood.

"I love you, Ace, Sabo," Luffy whispers against his shirt.

Sasuke freezes. He _still _doesn't get it. Luffy claims to love him. But he has no reason to at all. Hell, he doesn't even have a reason to like Sasuke. In this world, Sasuke isn't the best in the class, or happens to be good looking— he's a rude, caustic ten-year-old who's quick to violence, and he's really done nothing to garner the grace Luffy treats him with. But Luffy loves him _anyways. _

And Sasuke remembers gently, gradually, that this is what the love of a family member is like.

He places his hand on Luffy's back. With the final motion, the pact is sealed.

Looking past Luffy and out into the wide sea, he promises to himself and to Sabo.

He will be a brother to Luffy— for better or worse.

* * *

And Sasuke keeps his promise. Well, he tries anyways.

It's strange at first, being the older brother this time around, but he thinks he's doing a good job. Well, maybe not initially. At first, he had no idea how to behave. Though Luffy does a fantastic job distracting Sasuke from thinking about his past, Itachi sneaks into his mind more and more often as the years go by. Initially, the reminders make him hateful. When his behavior mimics Itachi's in the slightest, he can't help but recoil, hiding himself from his new little brother for a few hours.

It's after one of those times when Sasuke is trying to put any kind of distance between himself and Luffy, with the latter tagging along determinedly, that Sasuke's point of view changes. Because so irked with Luffy's persistence and his own behavior, he doesn't have the presence of mind to keep an eye out for bears, nor to defend his brother when he starts scrapping with one. Sasuke actually pauses and turns to watch. He sees it as an opportunity for Luffy to learn firstly, to leave him alone when he needs space, and secondly, not to bite off more than he can chew. His attempt at tough love backfires horrendously, leaving a severely gouged Luffy trembling on the jungle floor, bleeding out in the rain. The first thing Sasuke does is crash the bear's head in. After that, he lifts the younger boy and runs to the bandits' hideout so fast the world around him blurs.

When he arrives, asking, demanding, begging for them to do something for Luffy, he ignites a frenzy of activity. Dadan's large first aid kit is brought in from the closet, Magra carefully removes what's left of Luffy's shirt, while Dogra prepares the table for impromptu operation. Sasuke takes a deep breath when he sees the wound in its entirety. Luffy's going to need a lot of stitches.

Luffy sobs and screams with pain, barely conscious, as Dadan and the bandits patch the gaping wounds. When Dadan angrily, worriedly demands what happened, Sasuke finds himself at a loss of words as he realizes it's all his fault. The last part tumbles out of his mouth numbly.

She says nothing. All of the bandits keep quiet as they continue working on Luffy. After all but one of the bandits leave the room, and when Luffy is finally all bandaged up, looking painfully similar to a mummy, Magra addresses the issue.

"Ace," he says softly. "This is no joking matter."

As if Sasuke doesn't know.

Some of his self-loathing must show on his face because Magra places a hand on his back, ignoring how Sasuke tenses.

"You're young still. And we all make mistakes," he continues. "Luffy will be fine in a few weeks; you'll see."

And Sasuke freezes, actually freezes in a way he hasn't since Orochimaru petrified him in the Forest of Death a _lifetime _ago. Because he is an adult. And he does know better. Because he almost got Luffy killed.

Kneeling next to the damaged younger boy, face buried in his hands, Sasuke cries for the first time in years.

"I'm not good enough," he manages through the tears. "I don't deserve to have Luffy as a brother."

"Ace." Magra rubs gentle circles into his back, and Sasuke can't find the energy to resist.

"I didn't even want to be his brother," Sasuke confesses. "But him and Sabo kept pushing and _pushing."_

"You're good for each other," the bandit points out. "You're much happier now than you were before. None of us knew you could actually smile before Luffy came around."

Sasuke snorts, and he tries to stem the flow of tears but they and his confessions won't stop.

"How good am I to him? He nearly _died."_

"Maa, Ace. I don't mean to downplay Luffy's strengths, but do you really think he would've lasted so long in this forest if you hadn't been there to help him?"

Sasuke's mind casts back to the time Luffy was almost killed by a tiger, long before Sasuke even bothered talking to the other boy. If the other animal hadn't attacked the tiger, Luffy probably wouldn't be here now. Magra has a point, but still.

"Besides, you know how proud Luffy is to have you as a brother," Magra reminds him. "He ran down to Fuusha village and told anyone who would listen that he has a brother now. Actually, come to think of it, he told all of us at Mount Colubo over and over for the first week. I thought he was going to lose his voice he said it so many times."

Sasuke remembers. How could he forget? It was annoying as all hell. And moderately embarrassing. He shoves the memory aside though.

"That doesn't change the fact that I can't be someone's brother. I just _can't. _Why the hell did I agree to this?!" He cusses as the tears continue to flow.

"Because Luffy needs you."

And he knows Magra has _no _idea what those words mean to him— to be _needed. _It's how Luffy reached him in the first place all those months ago. It's how he can justify this bond, the one he feels nauseas and so incredibly grateful about at the same time. It's often times his reason to live even though this life is so shitty, even though he murdered someone just from being brought into this world, even though he doesn't deserve it—

"Besides, do you really think Luffy would stand by and let you dwell on this, or worse, stop being his brother?" Magra continues, unaware of his tumultuous thoughts. That's . . . also an admittedly good point. Luffy was persistent before he even _knew _Sasuke. And now that they have a bond, Sasuke doubts that Luffy would accept any fracture in their relationship.

. . . But maybe after this bear attack, Luffy will understand better. He'll reject Sasuke and set out on his own. Luffy's strong enough to survive the forest now. He doesn't _need _Sasuke nearly as much these days. Except for those times when Luffy wakes up in the night, screaming about Sabo, and the incidents where he falls asleep carelessly on the forest floor, despite how many times Sasuke has lectured him, and the days when he struggles to even go near Grey-Terminal, and those moments when an open flame makes him jump out of his skin, and—

Sasuke might be deluding himself. But if Luffy decides to dissolve their bond, he'll accept it (though he'll maybe keep an eye on him for a while).

Except when Luffy wakes up, demanding food and fidgeting despite the pain he's in, he still looks at Sasuke the same way— fondly, excitedly, happily. And when he makes his great escape from the makeshift infirmary, he pulls Sasuke along with his weak hands, going on and on about the anaconda nest he discovered and how he wants to show him.

It seems Luffy is too forgiving to let Sasuke go . . . though he'll never admit it, even to himself, he's grateful. He vows to never let something like this happen again.

After that incident, Sasuke takes what he remembers about Itachi as a challenge— to be better. He makes time for Luffy _always. _Never does he blow the younger boy off, even when he isn't in the mood. Because he knows how that feels when all Luffy wants to do is become stronger (to protect his precious people, and Sasuke has mixed feelings due to the fact that he's at the top of the list). So he indulges Luffy. It's much easier than it ought to be when Luffy's eyes light up every time. The younger boy should be used to it by now, but every time Sasuke gives him his time, some of his food, a backhanded compliment, his smile is just as wide and just as bright as the first time he did any of those things.

In the following years, he guides Luffy through the basics of the shinobi arts: including stealth, tracking, knife throwing, an altered form of his clan's fighting style (which Luffy alters even more, making it unrecognizable to even him), lessons on deceit (which he eventually understands will always be lost on his brother), and basic first aid. His little brother will never have the patience for being silent, subversive, or stealthy, but he'll at least have the capacity for it. What makes Sasuke laugh is how Luffy never questions how he knows all these things. Of course Sasuke has plenty of lies prepared, but never does he have an opportunity to use them. Luffy oohs and ahhs and asks nothing except for Sasuke to teach him more.

He doesn't just teach Luffy fighting and survival techniques, Sasuke teaches him life skills too. For example, he teaches Luffy how to read (real books, not just menus). Calligraphy is next on the list, and until Luffy can write his characters neatly, Sasuke doesn't relent. Sasuke even goes so far as to clean up his own language (sans when their shitty Grandfather is around), going back and using the formal speech patterns he learned when he was younger, all in an attempt to be a good influence on his little brother. This is his effort to give Luffy some of the tools Sasuke has at his disposal.

And in exchange, Luffy gives Sasuke laughter, which is never a talent Sasuke's had, but his sardonic chuckles have built into hearty laughs while he wasn't paying attention. Luffy teaches him how to display affection though accidental familial touches, hugs, hi-fives— it gets to a point where they sleep curled up on one another every night and Sasuke no longer sees it as unusual or unwanted. Luffy gives Sasuke the capacity to smile instead of smirk, which he learns to do widely over the years. And Luffy gives him Love, in such a pure form that Sasuke doesn't know what to do with it. Because he's never had access to such an untapped, unlimited resource as Luffy's love is. After tentative sips, he eventually flocks towards it, like a thirsty traveler to an oasis. The Love takes getting used to, but he does get used to it eventually.

And the last thing he learns, is how to return it. He vows to do so endlessly for Luffy. Because he's given him so much without trying or knowing.

He isn't completely healed by any means— he still has trust issues, still has anger boiling beneath his skin. But he knows that he's capable of love, of maybe being important to someone, and it makes all the difference in the world.

Sasuke wants to live up to the person Luffy somehow sees in him. He's not afraid to admit it— Luffy saved his life. And continues to give him a reason to live.

So he'll do what he can to protect his brother, to give him happiness. Even at the cost of his life . . .

* * *

_**An**d __Sasuke exh_ales sharply_. _The sounds of explosions and the battle cries of soldiers and pirates alike remind him of his surroundings. He doesn't know why he's thinking about those memories on the executioner's platform, with Sengoku hovering ominously behind him, and the shitty geezer sitting next to him. Maybe he wants to feel guilty for what's about to happen. He's breaking his promise to Luffy because his execution is eminent. He's not that concerned by his death though. His crew's life is completely another story. They're fighting for him— _dying _for him. He's not worth it.

It's about the time he's thinking that when Luffy falls from the sky, landing before several extremely strong admirals, but his eyes are only trained on Sasuke.

"ACE!"

And god, Luffy is such an idiot, such a fucking idiot!

"Get the hell out of here!"

_Please_

"Go away!"

_Just don't_

"I don't need my pathetic weak little brother trying to save me!"

_Die here._

"YOU'RE MY BROTHER!" Luffy shouts back, his voice echoing throughout the battleground and pirates and marines alike turn to look at him despite the battles around them.

"I DON'T CARE IF YOU WANT ME HERE, I'M SAVING YOU ANYWAYS EVEN IF IT KILLS ME."

And Sasuke doesn't think he's ever heard anything so awful in his life. Yet the soft edges of joy find him even though sharp metal hangs over his neck. Joy and sadness.

"I'm not worth it! All of you, I'm not worth it!"

But it's too late, his brother has given everyone more spirit, more will to fight, and he doesn't think there's anything he can do to stop it.

"Fucking idiots," he grits out, crying tears of grief and happiness.

Because this is tangible love in its most painful form.

* * *

Sasuke is utterly numb with shock and ecstasy when Luffy finds him on the platform and unlocks his cuffs. Because now he can fight, now he can do _something_. The grin of sheer happiness on his little brother's face only sweetens the moment even more.

"You're one hell of a guy, Luffy."

His brother laughs his familiar laugh, making Sasuke smile too.

He and Luffy run away from the ruins of the platform, beating up marines as they go. It's been so long since Sasuke has fought with his little brother, and yet their synchronism hasn't faded a bit. They move as one, eliminating those ahead of them one at a time until they clear a safe path to the lower part of the fortress.

It's there that Sasuke is forced to face the terrible realization that his father is going to die here. He bows as low as he can, because he's so proud and indebted to this man— the_ greatest _man he's ever known in either life.

He feels at peace with his surrogate father. . . but then Akainu starts talking, and a new wave of fury builds in his being, drowning out all the sound in the area. Even, he regrets to say, Luffy's pleading words. That is, until Akainu aims a magma-laced fist spiraling towards his younger brother. And then Sasuke just _reacts. _His body moves to Luffy, sheltering him.

He expects an impact. What he doesn't expect, but gets, is a pulse of _chakra _spreading through his being. His eyes widen, and for the first time in _decades _he feels the power of the sharingan swirling in his irises. And he doesn't know what he's doing, but he grabs his little brother anyways, clutching him protectively, and squeezing his eyes shut, he just thinks to escape this place. Luffy's cry is the last thing he hears before the pair is sent spiraling into areas unknown.

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

**So . . . lots happens. Hope this makes up for the long delay. It's about 10,000 words. I couldn't find the right place to cut it off.**

**The reason this chapter took me so long was because I was fighting with how Sasuke would respond to Luffy and Sabo asking him to be brothers. As for any reactions of Sasuke's that seem weak or unexpected of him, I defend by pointing out that he is ten again. In addition, he's in a different world. One where Itachi doesn't exist, there's no chakra, he's much weaker, and, like Luffy, he has no one (to a more extreme extent). This changes _everything. _**

**You may be wondering where the hell all the time Ace/Sasuke spent with Whitebeard went. I decided to skip it. Maybe I'll do flashbacks if enough of you complain, but most if his character development happens in his early years. So yeah. Shit's going down real fast.**

**I'd love a review or two. :) As for the next chapter . . . well I can promise is won't be such a long wait. A week or two, tops. I just have to make two very important decisions.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Around the World

**Another stupidly long chapter. 10,000. Again. Instead of writing my paper, I did this. What am I doing . . .**

**Two notes that will be reiterated at the bottom. **

**ON THEIR AGES. I'm making Sasuke/Ace two years younger than canon. He's 18 in my fic. The reason why, is because I don't want Naruto to be too old. By 20, I feel like he'd make Hokage, even without Sasuke pushing him so hard to grow stronger. The gap between Sasuke and Luffy's ages is decreased by one year. So Luffy's 16. Good? Good. **

**Another thing to keep in mind is that Ace's top priority is Luffy, and his decisions reflect that . . .**

**Though I didn't get to responding to everyone's reviews, I want to thank them and be more receptive this time around. **

**So thank you,**

**shinxshinx1595, KingSuno, WDW, Black Night Wolf, guest (04/24/15), Hikari Kaiya, Royiah, Allykrau, Bloodybel, and Mistress Belfray.**

**I appreciate every word!**

**Now the fic!**

* * *

_Chapter 3: Around the World_

* * *

"Ace."

Sasuke frowns and bats at the hand that's poking him. He's really not in the mood for Marco's antics. He's _tired. _Sasuke can barely remember being so tired.

"Ace."

Not Marco, but Luffy. That's great because Sasuke is in even less of a mood to deal with his energetic little brother.

"Ace."

But what is Luffy doing here in the first place? Shouldn't he be with his crew?

"Ace."

And the fourth time is the charm. He shoots straight up, memories filtering through his mind rapidly.

"L-Luffy," he utters, staring around desperately for his brother who is kneeling beside him not even a foot away. He looks like he's in bad shape. Bruises cover the vast majority of his body, and bandages hide whatever else there is. Over all, Luffy just looks utterly exhausted. But so, so, _so_ alive. Ignoring the protests of his body, Sasuke leans over and covers his brother with a hug which the younger desperately responds to. Luffy's hands weakly tremble against his bare back. It's painful for both of them, but Sasuke is still shaking because that had been close. He almost lost Luffy and that— God, Sasuke can't fathom that. But they didn't die, either of them. The fact that both of them dodged Akainu's fatal attack is something worth celebrating, but Sasuke feels the sharp edges of fear festering in the back of his mind. Because what about everyone else? His crew? His nakama? As his little brother slowly pulls away, Sasuke shoves those thoughts to the back of his mind for the moment. Luffy's survival takes precedence at the moment. Sasuke needs to figure out where they are and where he can get help for his battered little brother.

His brows knit as he remembers how exactly they got here. If it wasn't a dream, if it really happened, then he really—

And it's true. Sasuke looks around at their surroundings, because for the first time in decades he can feel the chakra in the air, feel it moving in his body. The tenketsu that had been dormant for so long have finally blown open and he quickly channels the energy to his eyes. The world changes shapes, and everything is sharper than ever before, and yes, _yes, _he can access his Sharingan again!

His stomach sinks though as he examines the territory around him, taking in the endemic trees and the wide dirt path nearby. Yeah. This is familiar too. Of all the places to land—

"Ace! You have cool eye things!" Luffy exclaims, and Sasuke shakes his head. Of all the things to ask . . .

"I know that, Luffy. It's called the _Sharingan." _

"Starry eyes!"

Sasuke blinks. That . . . he did not know. His eyes shouldn't be stars. It could be the Mangekeyou, but the only eyes he's ever seen were Itachi's pinwheels— a sudden memory of Shisui's clan lectures reminds him that all Mangekyou are different. If so, then it isn't impossible . . .

Could he really have activated the Mangekeyou without even realizing it? The requirements to activate the Mangekyou (extreme emotional stress and trauma) were certainly reached, he thinks to himself bitterly. It isn't impossible nor necessarily unbelievable. If they have traveled dimensions like he suspects (dreads), then it must be true. Ninja training 101 hits him suddenly and he checks quickly while his eyes are active for genjutsu, but doesn't find a single sign. That's good. Except for the part where he wants this to be a genjutsu. Sasuke could really do with having the world around them being an illusion. His energy fails him and he lets the technique fade away.

"Ne, where are we?" Luffy asks, craning his head and examining the deciduous forest curiously.

Sasuke is about 100% sure, but jumps up to the top of one of the trees anyways. His body screams at him, but he pads his joints with a little chakra and powers through. Sadly, his suspicions are entirely correct. In the distance he finds a very familiar village waiting for him. Letting out a sigh, Sasuke jumps back down the tree and lands in front of his brother.

"Ace?"

"Right now, we're in a different world," Sasuke begins reluctantly.

Luffy nods in perfect understanding. "Like the Rainbow place."

"What?"

"There was this awesome waterfall that took us to a different dimension. It was so cool!" Luffy crows.

Sasuke stares at his little brother for a minute before saying slowly, "Yes, like that then. We're somewhere different."

"Where?"

"A hundred miles away from Konohagakure." And if that isn't the most unpleasant surprise he's ever gotten.

"The village hidden in the trees?"

"Village Hidden in the Leaves," Sasuke corrects automatically.

"That's what I said."

"No it wasn't— look, Luffy, I'm going to need you to stay quiet while I figure out what to do next."

Luffy hesitates, perhaps sensing the seriousness of the matter. He nods. "Can I sleep, then? I think I might crash soon . . ."

"Yeah, definitely. When you wake up, we'll set up a game plan, okay?"

"Okay," Luffy says, lowering himself to the ground inches from Sasuke. The older brother lays on the ground too. There's enough foliage for Sasuke to relax his guard slightly. No one's looking for two battered, dimension-hopping pirates lying on the forest floor among the bushes. Besides that, they aren't doing anything illegal. Suspicious maybe, but nothing against the law. Luffy edges closer to him and Sasuke accepts the silent request and pulls his little brother close to him, tucking his head below Sasuke's chin. Luffy lets out a shuddery breath, reminding Sasuke once again that his brother has had one hell of a day . . . it makes Sasuke more determined to puzzle his way out of this.

Hopefully he'll have a conclusion that _doesn't _involve letting anyone in this world know he's here; that goes double for Konohagakure. He'd like to keep away from that bunch if possible. Sasuke supposes though, that even if they find him, the chances of them recognizing him are minimal. How many years have passed here since he's been gone? He'll likely be too old or too young for them to recognize him. Beyond that though, he changed a lot in the other world. The tan and tattoos alone will set them off. Not to mention the freckles, his mother's freckles . . .

Sasuke shakes his head. He needs to focus.

So, he's back in the shinobi world due to the Mangekeyou Sharingan. Logically, if he wants to go back, he should use the Mangekeyou Sharingan again . . .

Using his last bit of chakra, he activates the kaleidoscope eyes once more. The world shifts. He tries to think about his and Luffy's world, the one filled with pirates, the one with Marco, and Vista, and Izou, and Jinbe, and _everyone _else, and— and nothing changes. Sasuke grits his teeth and tries again, summoning every image of his home that he can think of, but to no avail. He doesn't know how to access the interdimensional aspect of the Mangekeyou. It isn't as simple as he hoped it would be. Letting out a pained exhale, he dismisses the jutsu to avoid collapsing from chakra exhaustion.

So, how is he going to get Luffy and himself back to where they belong? Right now, he has no idea.

Loathe as he is to admit it, he needs help figuring out the Mangekyou. Not that he'll be receiving any. Sasuke snorts. The only Uchiha left in the world is Itachi, and a meeting with him is the last thing Sasuke wants right now. Now that he thinks about it though, there is another source of information, but it makes Sasuke's stomach drop with dread.

The Uchiha library is packed with diaries and journals. Though he's read most everything at his disposal, there are some books and journals that are restricted by an age seal, meant to be saved until the Uchiha member comes of age. Sasuke wasn't old enough when he left for Orochimaru. At eighteen years now, he's more than ready . . . well fuck. If Sasuke wants to go home, he'll have to return to the one place he promised never to go back to. He forcibly dismisses his repugnance. There's no point in dwelling on personal vows made a lifetime ago. Getting back is key. He _refuses _to stay in this world, and keeping Luffy here, in a place so deprived of grand adventures and his nakama, isn't even worth considering. If getting them both home involves going back to the village, he'll suck it up. In the long term, it'll pay off.

With that in mind, Sasuke quickly cycles through possibilities. He can't force his way in, he knows that, because he isn't strong enough to fight, get to the library, and then hold off innumerable ninja while he peruses the clan's archive. Sasuke needs _time. _Sneaking in is also equally as ridiculous. His genjutsu skills are seriously rusty and his chakra is low. Getting in there and past the Anbu would be a miracle in and of itself. Getting in there with _Luffy _would be a veritable sign from god that Sasuke is a goddamn saint . . . which he very clearly isn't. Not to mention the fact that Luffy needs medical attention as soon as possible if he's going to survive the night. They need to get into the village— and soon.

That leaves going in, convincing Tsunade, or whoever the hell is in charge, that he is in fact Sasuke Uchiha, not quite as dead as he should be, and then enact his privileges as one of the main clan heads. He's old enough to take control of the estate now. After that, it would just be a matter of inducting Luffy into the clan to extend his rights, and then going through the books in the library all while dodging every one of the rookie-nine to the best of his abilities. Of all the options, this is the most wretched. He'd rather fight for his life any day over this. But it's the best option for Luffy.

Speaking of, Luffy isn't looking too well. His brother's eyes are darting beneath his eyelids and he's broken into a sweat. No doubt a nightmare. Considering everything Luffy's seen in the past 24 hours, it doesn't surprise Sasuke in the slightest. Though it's only been ten or fifteen minutes, Sasuke carefully nudges his little brother, trying to wake him as gently as possible. Right now Luffy has a death grip on him. One wrong twist, and Luffy will likely break some of the ribs Sasuke cracked in the battle of Marineford.

"Luffy, Lu," Sasuke says softly.

"Ace," Luffy whimpers, not fully coherent.

"Luffy, its okay, I'm right here. I need you to wake up though, okay?"

Though his grip tightens minutely, his eyes open slowly.

"Ace," he murmurs sleepily, relaxing his arms.

"Luffy." Sasuke exhales as he realizes that the biggest hurdle in this is telling Luffy the truth. He stands up, pulling his brother with him. He keeps an arm on his shoulder to keep him steady.

"We need to go somewhere safe so we can patch you up," Sasuke says. Luffy, though exhausted, nods.

"Before that, there's some things you should know," Sasuke begins. And fuck. How does one tell their brother that they're from a different dimension and that reincarnation is a thing? He starts the only way he can think of.

"I'm not really completely Ace."

"What do you mean?" Luffy tilts his head. "Are you possessed by a ghost?"

"What? No. I— I've lived a past life. Here. In this world. Before I was Ace, I mean."

"If you weren't Ace, who were you?"

"My name was Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke admits for the first time, and it feels nice to get it off his chest, although his mounting anxiety doesn't do him any good.

"Sasuke . . ." Luffy echoes, trying it out, and god it's weird hearing Luffy say that name.

"Yeah, that was my name. I was reincarnated into our world as Portgas — I honestly have no idea why, but it's the truth."

Luffy looks confused, but Sasuke proceeds anyways, too nervous about his brother's reaction to stop.

"There are a few other things you need to know. In this world there aren't really pirates. This world has much less water, so people basically spend their entire lives on land instead."

Luffy's eyes go big.

"I know, sad isn't it?" Sasuke says. "Instead of pirates, they have ninja, or shinobi." Sasuke proceeds to explain the mechanics of the shinobi world and how the economy works here. Once he finishes his very brief, very simplified version, he closes it by saying, "I was once a shinobi of Konohagakure."

"The tree place," Luffy mumbles.

"Leaves," Sasuke corrects.

"And you were like a fighter person for money? Like a mercenary!"

"Yes, but not really. The art of being a shinobi has a very illustrious past full of false pride and bullshit, but you'll get that soon, because we're going to have to go back to Konohagakure."

"Eh?" Luffy asks. "Why?"

"I . . . I don't know how to get back to our world," Sasuke admits bitterly. "I'm pretty sure it was my Sharingan that got us here, so it's our best shot at getting back home."

"The stars?"

"Exactly." Sasuke sighs. "It was an accident, so I don't know the mechanics of how it works. We're going to need to look through the Uchiha archives so I can figure out a way to get us back home. They're in Konohagakure, so we have to go back to my previous village. Does this . . . does this make sense, Luffy?"

Luffy nods determinedly. "Yep. Which way?"

Sasuke blinks. Once. Twice.

"Seriously, you're going to accept it just like that? That I'm a different person?!"

"Yeah. I mean, you're still Ace, right?" Luffy points out simply.

"Of course, but I've been keeping this massive secret from you this whole time!" Sasuke runs an anxious hand through his hair. Luffy smiles.

"That's okay. You're Ace. Even if you're also Sasuke or whoever it's okay. Cause he's part of Ace, right? He's Ace too, so that's good." Luffy shrugs. "Besides, I'm just glad I got to meet Ace. And that includes all of whoever you are. All of Ace is good."

Sasuke exhales a pained breath and has to fights down the tears. The conflicting but warm emotions building in his chest slowly evaporate the anxiety, the dread, and the shame that's been growing in his marrow for the past eight years. Because he was too weak to share before, too afraid of rejection, too afraid of damaging to their bond; both because he'd hidden it for so long, and because of who he was before . . . But he realizes that he shouldn't have been afraid. Because Luffy met Sasuke at his lowest point, so filled with anger and self-loathing that all he wanted was for the world to burn. And Luffy loved Sasuke anyways. And now that's he's grown up, gotten stronger, learned about dreams and friends, Luffy continues loving him; for who he is and who he has been. And he shouldn't have been afraid because Sasuke _is _Ace. He hasn't kept his personality separate or pretended to be someone else. That realization makes him feel so much lighter. Sometimes he thought about his lives separate, but it's all him, like Luffy said, isn't it?

Sasuke looks at his simple brother and sees the unassuming wisdom behind his black eyes. How does he always know what to say? How is it that he can love so endlessly? What did Sasuke ever do to deserve such a wonderful brother? There is no amount of karma in the world that could grant him someone so kind and forgiving. Sasuke rolls his shoulders as he understands the situation fully. His mission? Take care of Luffy.

"Alright, let's get going then." He pulls Luffy by the hand into their uncertain future.

* * *

It takes them a few hours to get to the gates of Konohagakure. By the time they reach those large red doors, Luffy is about ready to pass out. In fact, the first words out of Sasuke's mouth to the two male shinobi guarding the gate are,

"Water, please, do you have any water?"

The two shinobi look at each other before one gets his canteen and tosses it to Sasuke. They must look really bad if they're giving them water with no questions asked.

"Here, Luffy." Sasuke passes the canteen to his brother, who takes three large gulps before handing it back to Sasuke, who takes one moderate sip and then puts it back in Luffy's hands. Luffy takes another drink before tossing it to Sasuke.

"Luffy." Sasuke is not in the mood. "Drink the water."

"You need water too, Ace," Luffy protests, pouting. It might've worked if Luffy didn't look so pathetic and weak.

"I'll have a little more, but you need to finish off the rest, okay?"

Luffy purses his lips before nodding. Sasuke takes a sip from the canteen before giving it to Luffy who drains the rest. Sasuke grabs the canteen and passes it to one of the shinobi, who looks like he's barely resisting laughing at their antics.

The ninja quickly regains himself and asks, "Papers?"

"Don't have any," Sasuke says bluntly.

The shinobi frowns, obviously about to tell them to scat when Sasuke says.

"But leaves are fickle things, don't you know? The only ones to know their paths are those that guard the trees."

The other ninja approaches him slowly, deceptively casually.

"How do you know those words?"

"Classified." He's going to try and pull this off like he's been undercover for a long time. The code guarantees him one message into the village to get someone down to affirm their status as members or friends of Konoha.

The second ninja twists his lips, but pulls out a small rolled bit of parchment and a pen.

"Only one."

"One is enough." Sasuke takes the roll of paper and goes to the little table set up by the entrance. He quickly pens in the secret code for the Uchiha clan that he barely remembers memorizing in case of emergency, and rolls it up.

One of the shinobi calls a bird down before taking the note and placing it in a carrying case.

Sasuke exhales and waits. The message will be scanned by the communications department of course for seals, information, or any kind of code. In this case, after unravelling the secret message, they'll immediately ping the Hokage the minute they see the Uchiha code pattern. The Hokage will then read it and—

A bird lands on the table only minutes after sending the first bird off. One of the shinobi takes the letter from the pouch, but all of them already know what it says already (except Luffy). It's especially reinforced when two masked Anbu appear silently on either side of him and his little brother.

"The Hokage will see you now."

"Wonderful," he mutters to himself. After receiving a nod from Luffy confirming that his little brother will be alright for a while longer (debatable in Sasuke's opinion. Luffy should be freaking out over the ninja's special appearances, but Luffy is evidently too drained to do even that), the brothers head up the main street of the village and towards the largest building. Sasuke checks the mountain, ambivalent to see that there are five familiar heads on the mountain. It's incredibly likely that it'll be Tsunade that will be entertaining them today. Fuck. She hates Sasuke. He sort of hoped that the old lady had died and that Kakashi would have taken over. His chances would be _much_ better if that was the case.

Glancing over at his weary brother, he knows he just has to suck it up. Their lives depend on his success. If Tsunade doesn't believe him, then they'll both be interrogated and then executed. He sighs. As ironic as it would be to get executed after all of this, for Luffy's sake, he'll avoid the gallows to the best of his ability. Fuck knows what Luffy would do to save him this time. Crazy idiot.

It's painfully clear, that while it's been over eighteen years since he's been here, time has not passed as quickly. Considering the Mangekyou is a time-space jutsu that isn't _too _surprising, though it is unsettling to see the village almost exactly as he remembers it.

As they walk, Sasuke examines his escorts. One is rather familiar . . . ah. The long purple-blue hair. It's very, very likely that Hinata is one of the ones transferring him. If she made Anbu, then she's likely at least eighteen, if not older. He cautiously estimates that three or four years have passed since he's been gone. The other ninja is a male with short black hair, not Shikamaru, so someone else then. Someone he's never met before, perhaps. One meeting with a rookie-nine down, now seven more to avoid.

All too soon they reach the Hokage's tower. Their escorts lead them all the way up to the doors, leaving Sasuke to knock. Taking a deep breath, he raps the door three times.

"Come in."

He steels himself for what's ahead. This isn't going to be easy.

* * *

Tsunade's morning hasn't been the best so far. First off, she's hung over. Jiraiya was in town last night, and the two friends spent all night and morning catching up over multiple bottles of sake. Her headache is only fading now, and that's with chakra and supplements. She really needs to dedicate some time to doing further research on a hangover alleviating technique. Or maybe a jutsu to give enemies hangovers. That would be a formidable technique indeed . . .

"Lady Tsunade, do you— do you think that the code is genuine?"

The second reason for her rotten morning is on envoy even as she speaks. Supposedly she should be expecting a member of the Uchiha clan if she's to believe the code. As if. Sakura's probing of the issue really does nothing for her temper, but Tsunade indulges her anyways.

"No. I don't." Tsunade calls bullshit, and is fully prepared to unleash her hangover driven frustrations on the idiotic stranger who thought it would be fun to imitate a dead clan. Normally the imposter would be sent straight to TI, but Tsunade's in a rotten mood, and the code she received was the most pressing, serious code any clan can use. She would be remiss not to entertain her guest for a few minutes before knocking their head into the carpet. No, this has nothing to do with the fact that her apprentice is incredibly upset by the matter. Tsunade just feels a very natural urge to crack skulls. And she is sort of obliged to investigate this matter personally. It's incredibly serious . . .

"Who would do something like this though?" Sakura asks softly.

Tsunade groans inwardly. This is still a touchy subject for her apprentice, even though it was four years ago. She keeps her face neutral though.

"Someone with a poor sense of humor and a death wish. The crime for impersonating a clansman is execution."

Sakura grips the folders she's holding a tad tighter. The two are sitting in Tsunade's mess of an office, spending the day filing away reports. Taking on Sakura has been a wise decision, if only for her organizational capabilities. On the other hand . . . Sakura's sensitivity really is her greatest strength and weakness. Today, it fits under the latter category.

Before Tsunade has a chance to say anything encouraging mixed with a mild reprimand, there's a knock at the door. Three raps, in fact. Sakura rises and stands behind her sensei deferentially. Despite her best efforts, the Hokage can still feel her nervous upset. Tsunade just barely resists cracking her knuckles anticipatorily.

"Come in," she calls.

Two men filter in, followed by her faithful Anbu. Men might be a generous term. Teenagers, fits better. One of which can't be older than sixteen. And that's generous. The other could be nineteen or twenty, with a completely developed body and physique which is on full display. He sports shorts and little else, fully displaying the mildly humorous tattoo on his arm. Her dry amusement is tempered by the fact they've obviously both been through hell in the past 24 hours. The youngest of the group looks just about ready to pass out. There's a familiar stubbornness in his eyes though that tells Tsunade that he won't be going down while he has an ounce of strength in his body.

Both boys get one or two reluctantly given points in their favor when neither of them spares a glance to her boobs. The amount of time it takes people to ogle her chest usually is a good test of character. Maybe this time is a fluke though. She can practically feel Sakura's tenseness from behind her as both teens stand casually before the strongest person in the village.

"Hello. I hear you're in need of assistance," Tsunade starts, deceptively calm.

"That's accurate." The oldest of the pair steps forward, placing himself between her and the younger.

"And I understand you're invoking emergency clan rights to bypass normal systems of entry into the village, correct?" She laces her fingertips together.

"Also accurate." He oozes subtle sarcasm, and she just wants to knock the calm expression off his face.

"And under which clan shall I be filing this?"

"The Uchiha clan," he says. "But you already know that."

"Indeed. The code you used is very clearly one given to the Uchiha clan. I'm just curious how an outsider like you received it. Are you perhaps a past associate of Sasuke Uchiha?"

The Anbu behind them tense imperceptibly. Anyone associated with Sasuke has to be _dangerous_ or at least mentally unstable (if empirics are to be believed)_._

"Not to my knowledge." His words are sardonic while the younger's face turns confused. Tsunade immediately knows that if dealing with the older teen gets too complicated, she can get to the younger one easily. His face is an open book with bold lettering. But that's plan b.

She snorts dryly. "Well you certainly have the arrogance that goes with the Uchiha clan."

"So I've been told."

"Please, just tell us who you are already and save us all some time."

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha," he utters emotionlessly.

Tsunade's mouth opens, and she hears Sakura spluttering behind her. The two Anbu's posture has gone from tense to tenser. In the center of all of this stands the two teens, looking largely unaffected.

"Pull the other one," Tsunade says once she regains herself. "You're no Uchiha!"

The Sasuke-wannabe lets out a sigh. "How can I prove this to you?"

"You can't," she deadpans. "Rabbit, Snake." She nods to the Anbu.

Unbothered, the teen continues, "Maybe with the Sharingan?"

As he speaks, dual wheels enter his previously black eyes. Three tomoe lie in each in red irises, spinning ominously. Rabbit and Snake immediately jump back, pulling up kunai.

"It can't be," Sakura exhales behind her.

"It can't be," Tsunade confirms with a growl, signaling her Anbu to stand down. "Eyes can be transplanted you know."

The teenager actually subtly _rolls_ his Sharingan eyes at her. "Fine. Then I could tell you all about my life. My favorite food was tomatoes. My goal after leaving the academy was to 'kill a certain person.' Sakura or Kakashi can confirm that one."

"No way." Sakura shakes her head, but her eyes are wide.

"Mind transfer," Tsunade counters.

"The chidori," the teen offers, letting the Sharingan fade.

"Sasuke could have taught it to you."

Not-Sasuke looks so perfectly, familiarly irritated, that Tsunade wants to punch the expression away. He bites his lip uncertainly for a moment.

"A chakra test? I don't know if it'll match considering I'm . . . different," he hedges, sticking out his hand. "But it's worth a try."

Tsunade grabs a nearby kunai, and with little delicacy, makes a cut across his finger. The younger of the pair tenses at her action, looking angry, and she raises an eyebrow. He looks about ready to pass out. He isn't thinking about challenging her, is he?

"Luffy," the elder says without turning away from Tsunade. The younger, Luffy, exhales and relaxes his posture. His eyes are defiant though. Tsunade shakes her head as she wipes the blood with her handkerchief and then hands it to her apprentice.

"Class SS," she says shortly. The pink haired kunoichi nods and spares the elder dark haired teen one last look before exiting out the window.

"In case that doesn't work, is there any other way I can convince you?" he asks, maybe a tad desperately. Good. He should be desperate, Tsunade thinks.

"No. Even if that comes back positive, that's not going to convince me." Probably not. Chakra doesn't lie . . . but it isn't going to come back positive anyways.

"Well, then can you grant Luffy immunity?" not-Sasuke asks. "He has nothing to do with any of this."

Tsunade blinks at the request before examining the younger. Whoever he is to him, he's important to the older teen. This is getting too complicated.

"Why should I do that?" she asks with narrow eyes. "At the very least he's a foreigner who lied to get into the village."

"I held him hostage," wannabe-Sasuke lies. Poorly. From the look in his eyes, he knows it's a useless lie too. It's clear to all of them that the two are good friends at the very least.

"Not buying it." She needs a drink. Her hand wanders towards the sake under her desk.

"Fine. Grant Luffy immunity, and I'll donate my eyes to science after you execute me."

Tsunade's hand freezes before she reaches the bottle. Her head snaps up towards the teen.

"Now I know you aren't Sasuke Uchiha. No way in hell would he ever grant his eyes, his clan eyes, to dissection!" she shouts.

"I would if the reason are important enough," he replies quietly, intensely.

"What? Execution?! No!" The younger looks confused and entirely unhappy.

"Later, Luffy. Do not fight me on this," he says in a tone that brooks no argument.

"After we execute you, we can take your eyes anyways." She relishes the look of hatred and disgust on his face. "You have no clan affiliations to protect your body. You're a criminal at best and a terrorist at worst."

"So no matter how we slice this, I have to prove to you that I actually am Sasuke Uchiha." His lip curls.

"You can _try," _Tsunade clarifies. "After the chakra test comes back, Rabbit and Snake will be escorting the pair of you to Torture and Interrogation."

"This is because I'm tan, isn't it?" he asks suddenly.

"What?" She gives him a sideways look.

"That's why you don't believe me. It's because I got tan."

Tsunade coughs a little before responding incredulously. "And the tattoos, and the missing cure seal, and _everything _else!"

"I'm still me," he says. "Just a different version. You're focusing too much on what's changed."

"Right."

"I'll prove it."

She can tell he's about to do a jutsu and her Anbu leap forward, pressing their kunai to his throat. Unbothered, not-Sasuke pulls his hands together and makes the basic ram seal. A small cloud of smoke surrounds him. He only performed a henge, and a basic one at that, but gone are the tattoos and the dark skin tone. Aside from that everything's the same, down to the freckles. Rabbit is so startled that she removes her kunai and takes a step back.

Tsunade almost smashes her desk. Because with the more apparently similar face structure, lightened skin tone, and the tattoos vanished, he looks—

"Lady Tsunade!" Sakura pants, appearing in the window waving a folder in the air. "It's a match!" Her eyes move to the lightened version of the teen and her mouth falls open.

"Sasuke-kun— it's really you!" she exclaims, eyes watering.

"Evidently," he quips sardonically, as he nudges Snake's hand away from his throat. "I don't know how much this actually helps my case though."

"Not a lot. You're officially a missing-nin." Tsunade snatches the file from her apprentice and looks at it disgustedly. A 100% match. Blood can be faked, techniques transferred, and eyes transplanted, but chakra signatures are singular to a single person, a single _soul,_ and this chakra matches with the one they have on record for Sasuke. Well shit. Justifying kicking him out just got ten times harder, and the revelation of who he is _likely _to be just makes her want to kick him out more in direct correlation.

"You went down in flames," Tsunade points out. "How exactly are we supposed to believe you cheated death? Orochimaru's jutsu?"

The henge pops, and the tan teen is back— a tan potentially-Sasuke is back.

"Would you believe me if I told you I was reborn in a different dimension and lived there up until the point I accidently transported myself here with the Mangekeyou Sharingan a few hours ago?" maybe-Sasuke asks blandly.

"No. I would not," she deadpans.

"Then this is going to be a long conversation." Possibly-Sasuke runs a hand through his chin length wavy hair. "Can we get him a chair?" He gestures to Luffy who isn't looking very well. Tsunade nods at Rabbit who leaves the room briefly and returning with two chairs. Maybe-Sasuke hovers around as Luffy gingerly takes a seat. With that done he pauses before taking a seat himself. His posture is rigid and unyielding— just like his gaze.

"Where should we start?" he asks.

"The other dimension part," she decides.

"Right. Well first off, I was reincarnated into another dimension."

"I'm still not completely sold on that."

"It's the truth." He shrugs. "You can mind-walk or whatever if you want. You're going to find that I'm telling the truth."

"Or that you were under a complex genjutsu," Tsunade challenges.

"One that tanned me?"

He has a point. It didn't look like he'd been in a coma anywhere. But time can be skewed, and it isn't _impossible _per se.

"Look, if I can prove my body is not of this world will you at least consider the possibility?"

"Perhaps," she says vaguely.

Possibly-Sasuke sighs before sticking his hand out. It immediately dissolves into flames. She starts at the sight. Snake and Rabbit both jump forward, but Tsunade sticks a hand out. He hasn't acted aggressively . . . yet. She pauses a moment, arranging her thoughts before she begins.

"How is this jutsu supposed to convince me?" Tsunade asks skeptically.

"Mostly it's the _lack _of jutsu I'm going for." He has her there with a distinct lack of handsigns, but there are other explanations. Gaara gives the impression that he's made of sand, but that's to do with the Ichibi. It isn't a tailed beast though, because Naruto holds the fire elemental beast. So how is he doing it?

Unaware of her thoughts, he carries on. "Beyond that, it isn't some shtick. My entire body is made of flames."

"You're lying."

"Throw something at me and find out. I know you're just itching to," maybe-Sasuke taunts. More than ready to take him up on his offer, she grabs her paperweight and chucks it at his head— only for it to slam into the back of the chair, breaking the wooden back support.

Possibly-Sasuke looks behind him speculatively as the flaming hole in his head closes. "You know, if I had been lying, you would have just saved me a trip to the gallows."

She growls to hide her fascination. "So you're claiming to be all fire then?"

"Yes."

"But I cut you and took your blood ten minutes ago!"

"You only touch me if I want you to. Be careful." He holds up his flaming hand and rubs his chin. "I don't want you to now."

She examines his face as he pulls the fiery appendage away. Completely unscorched. Still a little cut up, but no worse than a moment ago. Flames continue to dance leisurely on his fingertips, all without a hitch in his breathing. A full body jutsu like this would be not only difficult, but extremely taxing. Yet potentially-Sasuke doesn't look affected by the display.

"No chakra involved," he goes on to say. "Ask Hinata to check if you want."

Tsunade grits her teeth. He's playing the part perfectly; being just as annoyingly observant as she remembers. Too late to change his knowledge of her Anbu. With a small nod at Rabbit, the woman turns her mask towards the Uchiha and makes a small handsign. After a moment or two, during which maybe-Sasuke's hand burns idly, she says stiffly,

"There's no jutsu. His chakra isn't moving out."

Shit. There goes another theory. She's running low on other options.

"Tell me," he begins. "Is there anyone in this world who can _be_ an element without using any chakra?"

The answer to that? No. But from the pleased look on his face he already knows that. He's just as rude as the Sasuke she once knew. With the physical proof before her, she struggles to deny it. There are enough similarities between the teen and Sasuke's features to draw comparisons, but the slight differences in eye shape and the freckles are enough to tell her he's different. But he's still unnaturally familiar in appearance and mannerisms. In addition, the chakra matches Sasuke's perfectly. It is _him, _or his soul at least. That coupled with his improbable constitution makes his claim hard to deny. He may well have been reincarnated . . . What the fuck? A potentially revived Uchiha and a religious revelation at the same time is too much for her to handle, so Tsunade just focuses on the former.

"Do I need to go on?" probably-Sasuke asks.

"Some new kind of technique just invented," she suggests.

"Let me know when you find actual evidence." He raises an eyebrow dryly. "I would like to have proof before you execute me."

"I'll be investigating this further, but for the moment I'm willing to let it drop. There are other things to focus on. Like the fact you're here," Tsunade says decisively.

"Like I said, there was a fluke with the Mangekyou. I don't know why we ended up here."

"No, I mean why did you come to the village? You've gone through a lot of trouble to get into my office, and you seemed rather reluctant to return previously." A grand understatement. "Assuming that you are Sasuke Uchiha, which I still don't fully buy, why have you returned to Konohagakure?"

"I can't say for certain I'll be able to get Luffy and I back home with my current knowledge of the Mangekyou," probably-Sasuke admits reluctantly. "I'd rather do a little research in the clan library than send us spiraling into oblivion."

Sakura makes a little sound from behind Tsunade, and the Sannin knows that she's caught on the first part of his sentence. Who cares where he thinks home is? The fact it's not here is a great relief if anything.

"Hence why you came here instead of slithering back to Orochimaru. We have the records you need," Tsunade says.

"Basically," he answers shamelessly.

"What's to stop you from defecting again when we lose our usefulness?"

"I have no desire to work with that sadist again," most-likely-Sasuke replies stiffly. "I'll say that under truth serum if you want, or you can have a Yamanaka take a peek into my mind. I'm not lying."

Tsunade wants to bang her head on her desk. She forgot how good Uchiha are at avoiding verbal traps.

"That still doesn't change the fact that you're listed as a missing-nin," Tsunade says. "Your word isn't worth shit."

"Wasn't my record expunged after I died?" likely-Sasuke asks.

"It doesn't count if you don't actually die."

"Excuse me for not being dead."

Tsunade points at him. "See this is just another thing that gets me. You're Sasuke! You don't have a sense of humor. You've been stuck in the teenage angst phase since you were seven!" Sakura nods emphatically behind her.

"I'm a bit different from the last time you saw me," he says dispassionately before rubbing his brow tiredly. Tsunade will admit that he looks damn exhausted.

"Look, I'm returning voluntarily. I'll play whatever little game you want me to play, Tsunade. I just want access to my clan rights. I don't want my status as shinobi back, I'll be a civilian. I'll sign an oath of fealty if you need me to and while I'm here you can do whatever the hell you want with me until I find a way back home."

She notes again that 'home' is clearly not here. That . . . works for Tsunade.

The Hokage quickly runs through her options. She could,

a.) Kill probably-Sasuke and hide his body.

The issues of that being finding a way to attack a person made of fire, and secondly, killing him in front of witnesses and not seeming immoral. She could also,

b.) Let him back into the village secretly, keep his presence hidden from everyone (most especially Naruto) using a fake identity.

She'd have to face all the backlash if her plan went even a little awry . . . there's also,

c.) Announce to the village that the prodigal son returned, take all the credit for bringing him back and reviving a dead clan, and gain political capital from the advisors to accomplish more of her goals.

Shit . . . there really is no contest, is there? She just hopes she won't regret her decision, and that it doesn't affect Naruto and Sakura too much. From the faint trembling coming from behind her chair, she knows the latter is already a lost cause. Not much she can do about it aside from keeping them apart. Probably-Sasuke seems willing to cooperate with that goal, if his avoidance of eye-contact with the Sakura is anything to go by.

"Alright," she says grudgingly, digging through her desk to find the right files. "This is a contract of fealty. You're in. One misstep and you're back to the gallows."

"Not a big difference," he mutters so softly Tsunade almost misses it. She narrows her eyes.

"What were you doing before this to get so beat up?"

"War." His eyes are devoid of everything as he speaks, and Tsunade automatically knows he's telling the truth. He silently takes the form from her and signs his name with practiced, clean strokes. A glance to Sakura earns her a subtle nod of confirmation. It's his signature alright. Tsunade sighs as definitely-Sasuke passes the paper back to her. He doesn't sit, but instead hovers behind the other chair that the younger teen is sitting in, who's almost dozing off.

"Now that I'm _not _an S ranked criminal, can we get him some medical service?"

Tsunade grunts. "I'll see him." She points to Luffy. "You're going to have to go to the hospital. Rabbit—"

"I'll wait for you to finish," Sasuke says coolly. His suspicion of her is palpable. Reflecting on how badly she wants to slam his face into the ground, it's perhaps understandable. Still, she hasn't done anything to make him expect harm will be done to Luffy . . . whoever he is. Sasuke pulls her out of her thoughts when he says,

"That reminds me; I'm also going to need the necessary paperwork to induct an outsider into the clan."

Tsunade's mind crashes for a minute before rebooting.

"Rabbit, Snake, take this imposter to TI."

Said teen lets out a growl. "Stop it already!"

"Sasuke-kun would never let an outsider into the clan," Sakura points out, conflicted.

"I would, if he's my _brother!" _Sasuke snaps. And Tsunade's brain crashes again.

"You can't be serious." Her voice is stern.

Sasuke nods. "This is Luffy, my little brother. Luffy, these are people who probably won't try to kill us."

The younger teen nods and waves.

"Hi."

Tsunade rubs her forehead and growls. God. As if this whole situation isn't already fucked to hell, she has another Uchiha to deal with?!

"How is this possible?" Sakura asks, eyes trained on the younger teen.

"Isn't it obvious? Different dimensions means different things."

"Is this Itachi's equivalent?" Sakura asks curiously.

She takes a step back as Sasuke levels her with a glare.

"It isn't a parallel world." His words are indescribably icy. "Luffy is no one's equivalent. He's just Luffy."

"Alright," Sakura says softly.

The council will have her head for this, but if this keeps Sasuke around, then who Tsunade to complain? They'll be too busy singing her praises to get on her ass about this. Probably.

"Alright, but you'll have to get council and clan approval and do the ritual with at least three witnesses. Until then he's your ward."

"Sure," Sasuke agrees easily. After digging for a few minutes, she reluctantly places the forms on the table. Sasuke swipes them with the barest hints of a smirk. He folds them in half before placing them in one of the pockets in his cargo pants. Tsunade still isn't entirely over seeing him dressed like this.

She shakes her head.

"Come over here, then, Luffy Uchiha," she gestures him forward.

"Treat Ace first," the kid says, stubbornly crossing his arms.

"Luffy," Sasuke growls.

"Ace?" Sakura asks.

"It's my name in the other world."

Tsunade barely covers up her laugh. It's such a common name for someone as _aristocratic _as Sasuke. Then again, looking at his topless tattooed form, she wonders how stately he is these days.

"I can see that." She gestures to the tattoo on his arm. "I'm just surprised that the rookie of the year misspelled it."

Luffy pauses for a few seconds before looking at his brother's tattoo. "You're right!"

"How did you not notice before?"

A look of surprise, wistfulness, and wonder crosses his face. "Is the 's' . . . I mean, is it for S—"

"Luffy, I'm not getting treated before you. You're barely even conscious. Besides, weren't you also poisoned earlier today? You need treatment," Sasuke pushes, redirecting the conversation.

"Poison?" Tsunade's eyes widen, looking for the signs: fever, nausea, shivers. Beyond the shakes from exhaustion, she can't find any typical symptoms which makes her brow furrow.

"Iva-chan fixed it!" Luffy protests.

"Tsunade, please look at my younger brother."

It could use an honorific or at least a title of some kind, but it's unexpectedly polite of the arrogant Uchiha. Tsunade sighs.

"Get over here, kid. You two can leave," she directs towards Rabbit and Snake, who bow before disappearing from sight.

"I'm sixteen." Luffy pouts but approaches her chair. "Not a kid."

"Hold still," she orders as she coats her hand in chakra. First thing she runs is a diagnostic. He giggles a little and jerks away.

"That tickles!"

Tsunade's eyes grow wide as the final result comes up. She jerks her hand back and stares piercingly at him.

"What's wrong with your hormones?"

"What? Nothing's wrong with them. I have no idea what you're talking about." The teen proceeds to avoid eye-contact and whistle very poorly.

"Such a bad liar." Sakura sweatdrops behind her master.

"Luffy?" Sasuke asks sternly. And that tone, Tsunade can identify it now. It's an 'older-sibling' sound, one she recalls using regularly with Daisuke . . .

"Iva-chan, uh, may have given me some adrenaline to keep going, and done some stuff to keep me from getting sick from the poison," Luffy hedges.

"With this much adrenaline in your system, you should be dead," Tsunade says bluntly, and Sasuke takes a sharp breath. Before he can open his mouth to reprimand the other boy, Tsunade jumps in. "Your organs feel like they're all new tissue. Why is that?"

"It might . . . be a side effect of Iva-chan's hormonal therapy." The Godaime wonders what kind of technique this 'Iva-chan' used.

"Luffy, is there anything else?" Sasuke asks seriously.

Luffy looks to the side before shaking his head unconvincingly.

"Whatever the technique was, it shaved almost a decade off your brother's life span," Tsunade announces, feeling weary all of a sudden. War, was what Sasuke had said . . . It's looking truer all the time. Sasuke's face pales as he looks at his brother who's wincing.

"Tell me you didn't . . ." he pleads, voice soft.

"I didn't have a choice. It was this or poison." Luffy's defiant expression falters at the look of anguish on Sasuke's face. "I wouldn't have picked anything else. It's not your fault."

"But you never would have been poisoned if it wasn't for me, Luffy."

"I'd pick it again, if I had to."

"God, you're so stupid."

Luffy pouts, but winces as Tsunade pokes his skin. Sasuke returns with a look that clearly says that this isn't over yet. His eyes are laden with a new burden, but he turns to her and nods. Tsunade returns to her work now that the brotherhood drama is over. It seems like Sasuke really cares about Luffy. Enough to show real emption. Tsunade doesn't know what to do about that yet.

She presses her hand on his chest to check his too fast heart. Sasuke tenses and opens his mouth, but it's too late, Tsunade's eyes narrow and she carefully pinches a bit of his skin and pulls—

and pulls and pulls and pulls.

"What?!" Sakura gasps as his skin snaps back into place.

"What are you?" Tsunade asks with narrow eyes.

Sasuke rubs his forehead. "I should have figured this would happen," he mutters to himself.

"I'm a rubber man!" Luffy pulls the corner of his lips far out to the side before letting it snap back.

"Luffy's like me," Sasuke admits reluctantly. "If you want another reason why I won't go to Orochimaru, here's one; I'd rather Luffy avoid his dissection table."

Tsunade believes him. Unlike Sasuke, it seems like Luffy is completely tangible, though uniquely so. Her old teammate would have fun figuring out how he works . . . Tsunade concedes the point. For the moment, it definitely seems like it's in Sasuke's best interest to stay in Konoha.

"Is everyone there like you?" Sakura asks, examining Luffy curiously. That's a bizarre thought— a place where everyone is made out of something or other.

"Hardly. It's supposed to be very rare. Luffy and I have always sort of been special cases."

Tsunade wonders why that sounds like some massive understatement.

"Anything else I should know?"

Luffy opens his mouth, but Sasuke quickly cuts him off.

"Nothing else relevant."

Tsunade narrows her eyes, but lets it go. She's had enough for one day, to be perfectly frank.

Green chakra surrounds her hands before she applies it to his skin.

His eyes widen with delight as his cuts and inner wounds start healing right before his eyes.

"So cool!" he gushes. Tsunade notices with hidden surprise the small smile that cover's Sasuke's face. And it's not a smirk, but a legitimate smile. It fades when he notices her staring, and the impassive expression is back. It's also interesting to see Luffy's reaction to her jutsu. It's like he's never seen anything like it before. Could it be that they didn't have healing jutsu there? Or, even more serious, no jutsu at all! If there were other people like Sasuke and Luffy who were made of different things, then the entire dynamic of the world would be different. Luffy giggles when she runs her hand over her ribs, snapping Tsunade out of her thoughts. It seems unlike Sasuke, Luffy has no problem showing his emotions. She smiles dryly before turning her attention back to healing him. She has a feeling that there will be plenty of time to investigate Luffy and this other world.

After working on him for about fifteen minutes she lets her chakra fade. Then, she goes to one of her drawers and pulls out bandages.

"That's about all I can do. You need rest more than anything." Tsunade proceeds to carefully wrap his hands, which are the most difficult for her to heal fully.

"Thank you," Sasuke says.

"Thanks!" Luffy smiles.

"I'm tired. Get out of my office already and go to the hospital, Sasuke."

"Mean lady," Luffy mutters.

He barely dodges Tsunade's second paperweight. Sasuke steps in between them.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't try to kill my little brother," he says coolly.

"Get out of here already." Tsunade sniffs.

"I need a note from you to bypass the banking system."

"Forgot your codes?"

"Do you think they'll be willing to give me, Sasuke Uchiha, access to my funds? Do you want me to parade my presence around before you can make a statement?" He raises a brow.

She grits her teeth. Tugging open her top drawer, she throws him the first stack of bills she sees tied with a rubber band.

"Here. I'll withdraw this amount from your account later."

He wordlessly catches the bills she throws to him.

"Now leave."

"With pleasure. Come on, Luffy. Let's get something to eat."

"After we treat your wounds," Luffy pipes up.

"I can do that—" Sakura begins.

"No, I need you here." Tsunade makes hard eye-contact with her apprentice. "We still have a lot of files to go over."

Sakura bites her lip, but lets them be.

"I'll be taking my leave then." He hesitates for a moment before giving Tsunade the slightest of bows. "Thank you."

After which he walks out of the door, Luffy trailing on his heels with a bright smile.

As their footsteps disappear, Tsunade exhales a breath she doesn't remember holding. What a fucking mess. She was not expecting this when she groggily woke up this morning. And even later in the day when she had the code in front of her, she had been expecting to turn the Uchiha imposter over to TI. That didn't happen though . . . she _never _imagined to find Sasuke Uchiha on her doormat.

A small chakra flare ensures an Anbu will be following him for the next while. With that taken care of, she covertly looks over at her apprentice who has gone back to rearranging Tsunade's massive collection of files. Her shoulders are shaking lightly, and Tsunade knows there are one or two tears hovering at the edge of those jade eyes.

"Sakura."

Her apprentice turns to face her head on, looking ashamed, conflicted, and even happy.

"I just— I never thought I'd see him again," she confesses. "I thought he died. And then he shows up here, looking so entirely different, and he smiled! Did you see that?! He smiled!"

"I could barely believe it myself." Tsunade says dryly.

"Can it really be him?"

Tsunade sighs. "I wish it wasn't, but in the face of so much evidence, I don't think I have much of a choice. All signs point to the fact it's him."

"Sensei, what are you going to do about Naruto?" Sakura asks softly.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. For now, I need a drink," Tsunade announces, hand dipping into her secret sake stash. After taking a couple long gulps, her eyes slide to the side to land on her apprentice. "You are not to tell him anything until I say so, do you understand?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Sakura says. There's conflict in her eyes, but Tsunade just has to hope that her apprentice will be able to suck it up until Tsunade can figure out what the hell she's going to tell Naruto.

She should have just stayed in bed and nursed a bottle well into the afternoon. With a sigh, the Hokage turns to file the fealty paperwork. Nothing for it.

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

**As was previously mentioned, every choice Sasuke made was based on taking care of Luffy and getting them back home. Luffy is crashing hard core. Closest place to get help? Konoha. Where can he get knowledge on Mangekyou? Konoha. It makes sense to me, but point something out if you don't agree.**

**ON THEIR AGES. I'm making Sasuke/Ace two years younger than canon. He's 18 in my fic. The reason why, is because I don't want Naruto to be too old. By 20, I feel like he'd make Hokage, even without Sasuke pushing him so hard to grow stronger. The gap between Sasuke and Luffy's ages is decreased by one year. So Luffy's 16. Good? Good.**

**Ah, and Jiraiya is alive. And Sasuke's death remains unexplained . . .**

**I had a bit too much fun writing for Tsunade, I admit.**

**Also, chakra being tied to a soul? Just my head-canon. **

**More stuff soon. Leave a review if you want. :}**


	4. Emotion

**. . . hi. I have a bunch of good reasons to give for my absence including RL and computer troubles, but why don't I just give you all a hella long chapter instead? It's the longest so far at 12,000 words. I say so far and I mean so far.**

**This probably won't be what any of you are wanting/expecting, but it got out of hand. Top, middle, and bottom parts are very different too. ****Oh well.**

**Many thanks go out to you awesome reviewers!**

**crimson11116, The Shifting, Allykrau, Doroki, guest (05/06/15), PirateDragons121, The Neo Productions, guest (05/07/15), The Keeper of Worlds, guest (05/18/15), JonJon1492, an (05/24/15), and all-American-heroine! Extra love for S. Eve and WDW for their long reviews, they seriously made my day to read!**

* * *

_Chapter 4: Emotion_

* * *

As Luffy and he exit the building, Sasuke covertly glances upwards and to the left, and sees the predictable sight of Hinata standing in the shadows of the trees. Forty degrees to her right, Sasuke senses Snake following her example, and taking to the high ground. Sasuke's lip curls a little. He already knew the Anbu would be pinned to him for likely his entire stay here, but it's Tsunade's choice to have them be where he can sense them that irks him. It's a very conspicuous nonverbal way of saying "I'M WATCHING YOU SO DON'T TRY ANYTHING."

Then again, Tsunade never was one for subtlety.

"Where's the hospital?" Luffy asks. Now mostly healed, his little brother's eyes dart all around the area, taking in the mountain and buildings eagerly.

"To be honest, I could really just do with some food and rest."

"But you're hurt," Luffy protests.

"Scrapes, mostly. Those'll go away fast enough after I eat something. Aren't you hungry?" Sasuke asks. Sure that might be an underestimation of the extent to his wounds and cracked ribs, but at the very mention of food, his brother's stomach makes a noticeable growl. Sasuke smiles. "I thought as much. Come on, follow me. Let's go to the grocery store."

"Okay . . . but we're getting bandages too."

"Alright," Sasuke agrees easily. He'll need to re-tape Luffy's hands in the morning anyways. Pulling out the wad of cash Tsunade so 'generously' threw his way, Sasuke starts flipping through the bills. Holding the currency again is . . . strange. The bills are so bizarrely similar to beris that he feels disoriented for a moment. He quickly shakes it from his mind as he finishes his tally. Thankfully the Hokage didn't skimp on the money. He has enough to keep him and Luffy fed for at least a week. He should be grateful, but all he feels is dry amusement and distain. This is probably her allotted money for her daily gambling. Hokage or no, it's kind of pathetic.

But at the moment, Tsunade is his best ally. He's preparing for the worst case scenario— being here for an extended period of time. Sooner or later he'll have to face the clan heads, and he'll need her on his side if he wants to succeed in adopting Luffy into the clan. He'll put off the introductions as long as possible though.

The brothers stop in front of the same grocery store Sasuke used to regularly visit all those years ago. The difference in the passage of time is more than unsettling, just as standing here as a different, yet the same person, is ridiculously bizarre.

"So much food!" Luffy crows. Sasuke grabs the back of his brother's shirt before he can run in and just start eating the produce.

"We're getting a cart. And don't eat anything until we've paid. Sanji must've had this conversation with you."

"Yeah . . ." Luffy reluctantly admits before smiling. "I'll wait!"

Sasuke pauses. "One more thing— don't show anyone your Devil's Fruit powers."

"What?" Luffy furrows his brow. "Why?"

"They don't have anything like it in this world. It'll be the quickest way to tip people off that we aren't from around here. We should try and pass ourselves off as new move-ins until Tsunade makes her announcement." Sasuke wishes he could always just coast below the radar, but knows better. For now, he'll enjoy anonymity while it lasts.

With a firm hand, he steers his brother around the store and fills their combined cart. Everything is so familiar and so dissonant at the same time, it's hard for him to fully grasp it all. Luffy's tired, though still excitable enough to be chatty, and it's exactly the consistent distraction that Sasuke needs to keep himself preoccupied.

Driven by extreme hunger, they manage the task in record time and reach the front of the checkout line.

The lady at the front is middle-aged, with her hair pulled back into a tight, serious bun. Despite that there are lines around her mouth and eyes from smiling and laughing, so although her expression is stern as she looks over their disheveled appearances, she greets them with a mild smile. Sasuke remembers her well. She's the owner of the store. After everything with his family . . . well, she refused to accept payment for groceries for at least the first year.

"Find everything alright?" she asks as she begins ringing up their massive pile of supplies.

Unsurprisingly, she doesn't recognize Sasuke.

"Well enough." Sasuke gives her a small smile.

"I haven't seen you around here before," she comments.

"I've never been here before," Luffy pipes in, eyes tracing her hands as she deftly bags each food item.

"New arrivals? Well I'm sure you won't regret coming here. Konohagakure is a wonderful village."

"I've been here before, it's just been a while."

"I see. Is there a reason why you left?" she questions mildly.

"Yes." Sasuke shrugs. A reason more complicated than he ever wants to get into.

"Well, hopefully you'll stay around this time Konoha is a wonderful place."

"Hopefully not. Thank you," he says quickly, eager to get out from under her eyes. She blinks at his response but nods all the same and gives him a small departing bow before turning to the next customer. Sasuke quickly grabs seven of the bags, leaving the other six for his brother to grab. Though they aren't heavy for him, they are awkward, and it takes some skill to move gracefully with all the extra mass. Luffy has no such qualms, swinging his bag-laden arms freely and clumsily as he walks down the streets.

Sasuke takes his time walking, absorbing in the small changes that have happened in the village since he was gone, and reacquainting himself with a terrain he hasn't seen in over 18 years. Too soon, they reach the compound.

Sasuke feels . . . incredibly ambivalent to be standing before the old Uchiha gates once more. On one hand, it reminds him of everything he's lost. On the other, Luffy's warm, completely _real _presence at his side reminds him that he still has so much. Letting out a small sigh, Sasuke extends his awareness down the streets to see if anyone unsavory is there to witness this.

There's no one but the snake Anbu and Hinata. Stepping forward, Sasuke places his hand on the wood frame of the gate in the center of the clan symbol, and lets out a small pulse of chakra. The gate gives a small click and they're in. Sasuke rolls the gate open and ushers Luffy in. He grants his two Anbu glares in warning not to enter the compound.

Not that he has the strength to enforce it at the moment, but he ignores that very unhelpful thought for the moment, instead leading his brother through the compound.

Luffy glances around curiously at all the buildings, and Sasuke's just waiting for him to start asking questions, '_What is this place?' 'Where is everyone?' 'Why are there dark stains on the ground?' _Thankfully, either due to extreme weariness, or the uncanny sense of perception Luffy possesses, the younger teen keeps his mouth shut.

Without much thought, Sasuke ends up in front of his old house. So many painful memories are plastered into the walls. The happy remembrances hurt just as much as Itachi and his incredible loneliness, sometimes the combination of the three seemed too much for a seven-year-old or preteen to bear— he shakes his head to forcibly disrupt the memories. He doesn't want to be remembering this now. Sasuke needs to focus on taking care of Luffy. Shoving the disturbing thoughts to the far corner of his mind, he opens the door by undoing another chakra lock.

The entrance hall is quiet, empty, just as he remembers it being. The thin coat of dust covering . . . everything is a little new. Six years is a rather long time to be away. Sasuke silently toes off his shoes. Glancing over at the slippers lined up against the wall, he knows his own will no longer fit him. The next best choice would be Itachi's— Sasuke shakes his head and steps onto the wooden floors barefoot. From behind him, he hears Luffy following his lead. His little brother carelessly kicks off his sandals and starts staring around the house with wide eyes.

Sasuke heads straight to the similarly dust-covered kitchen, and deposits their groceries on the countertop. Opening the fridge, he frowns. The light is off and the inside's not a degree cooler. Come to think of it, Sasuke hasn't tried turning on the lights in the room. In the past he rarely turned them on when he was home unless he needed to read. Something about the muted emptiness in the house fit better with slight shadows contouring every shape. Flicking the kitchen light switch gets no effect, as he predicted.

"Lu, why don't you dust for a moment while I go flip the breaker?"

Luffy nods and smiles, but his posture unusually stiff. Sasuke knows his brother is trying to mask his exhaustion, but Sasuke knows better. Luffy won't be back at full strength until he eats something and sleeps. With that thought in mind, Sasuke slips back on his slipper shoes and heads outside into the rapidly darkening night to find the breaker box. As he walks to the main energy circuit on the compound, Sasuke sends a small, discreet probe of chakra into the air. He immediately gets feedback from four signals in the area. Hinata's he knows, and one of the four is the new Anbu from this afternoon. The other two are vaguely familiar, but nothing he can put his finger on. No doubt the newest two are here to replace Hinata and the snake Anbu in their task of spying on Sasuke and Luffy. In fact they're probably being filled in on what's already happened at this very moment. Sasuke barely resists a derisive snort.

Sasuke was uncharacteristically 100% genuine when he spoke with Tsunade earlier. He's really just here for the library, and is more than willing to get out of her hair the moment he can. Hopefully, with as minimal of interactions with his old teammates as is humanly possible. Thankfully, it seems Tsunade supports him, at least in that capacity. Sakura is one thing, but Sasuke could really go without seeing his other obnoxious teammate again.

Sasuke sighs. He'll deal with that if he comes to it, he supposes. As he reaches the circuits, Sasuke draws a flame into his palm to examine the tiny writing made more inscrutable by the coming night. He senses a small pause in his four observers' chakra flow, and knows they're likely observing his every move. What? In case he burns down the compound? With a dry snort, Sasuke finds the correct switch and flips it off and on. He's rewarded by a sudden surge of artificial light pouring out of the kitchen window of his home, and a muted gasp of surprise from his brother. Sasuke shakes his head, and wonders if there will be any food left by the time he gets back.

Deciding not to leave it too much to chance, Sasuke heads back, dismissing the flame from his palm. As he removes his shoes again and enters the kitchen, he's greeted by the unpleasant surprise of Luffy staring at one of the only photos Sasuke really really loathes, zeroing in on it after being in the house for less than ten minutes. But as it's nosy, unapologetic Luffy, Sasuke doesn't know why it's a surprise.

Sasuke approaches quietly, and snatches the frame from his hands. His brother makes a startled utterance before pouting. The expression is quickly trumped by curiosity of course.

"Was that you?" Luffy asks.

Sasuke sets the image face down on one of the coffee tables. Not like he needs to look at it. The image is ingrained into his mind. He, Naruto, and Sakura arranged in front of their subtly smiling jonin sensei. Sasuke recalls the perfect look of indifference on his face, completely contrasted on different spectrums by Sakura's obvious joy, and Naruto's anger. It's an image he tries to rarely think of. Hell, he wouldn't even have a copy of it if Kakashi hadn't put it in his home (without Sasuke's awareness or permission).

"When I was twelve," Sasuke answers eventually, before turning his attention back to the groceries. The fridge is humming quietly in the background, and though it'll take a while to fully become chilled, Sasuke starts putting some of their perishables onto the shelves.

"You were so white!" Luffy laughs. "Did you not go outside?"

Sasuke smiles a little. Because of course, of all the things Luffy could ask, he comments on that.

"I went outside. I just didn't _live _outside," Sasuke informs him as he places a carton of milk inside the door. He doesn't really feel like explaining the prideful tendencies the Uchiha had about paleness, or what they would have called generations of good breeding.

"You were whiter than Sabo used to be!"

Sasuke falters for a moment, but chuckles nonetheless. Luffy has no idea. He never saw Sabo when he first left his parents. The blond absolutely burned in the sun, peeling repeatedly under the heat of Grey-Terminal only to reveal whiter skin. It took a good two months for Sabo's skin to stop peeling and actually build up some facsimile of a tan. It never did compare to the natural glow he and Luffy both sported.

"Definitely," Sasuke agrees, grinning faintly as he remembered the times.

"Sabo had an excuse though. He was a noble and his parents didn't let him outside."

"Well, the Uchiha are sort of a noble family here in Konohagakure," Sasuke says idly while he tries to remember if peanut butter needs to be kept refrigerated. It's one of the little things that they simply never had back in his and Luffy's world. And after almost twenty years, Sasuke's memory is a little blurry on some aspects of this life. He pauses in his ponderings because his brother is being very suspiciously quiet. Sasuke turns and glances at his brother, who is trying (and failing) to keep what Sasuke is sure is a bellowing laugh from escaping his lips. When Sasuke's stoic eyes meet his, Luffy loses it.

"You were a noble?!" Luffy guffaws.

"So?" Sasuke asks.

"You hated the nobles on Goa! Remember all the pranks and stuff we pulled?"

Sasuke smirks and shakes his head before putting the peanut butter on the kitchen counter. He won't have to wonder if it needs to be refrigerated or not if he and Luffy eat it all tonight.

"Ninja nobles are very different than the nobles at Goa," Sasuke explains, grabbing three loaves of bread and some cold cut meat from the grocery bags. A variety of sandwiches should do tonight since Sasuke really isn't up to cooking anything.

"Eh?" Luffy tilts his head.

"Noble ninja clans like the Uchiha are renowned for both their illustrious family history and their fighting skills. Generally the clans all have special techniques called 'jutsu' passed down from one clan member to another."

"Do you have one?" Luffy asks absently. His eyes are now tracing Sasuke's hands as they prepare simple assortment of sandwiches.

"Do you remember my eyes from earlier?" Sasuke asks as he smacks a wandering rubber hand away.

"The stars!"

Sasuke chuckles. "Kaleidoscope copy-wheel eye, Luffy. That's what the name means, Magekyou Sharingan."

"That's so cool!" Luffy says, eyes glittering with amazement.

Sasuke rolls his eyes slightly. "You think everything's cool."

Luffy frowns. "Nu-uh! People who betray their nakama aren't cool!"

"Of course," Sasuke says, grinning. His expression falters minutely and one hand drift to his cargo pants. Speaking of his clan, he almost forgot. He needs to make sure Luffy signs the paperwork inducting him into the clan. The thought is tainted with unusual hesitation. Because there's always a chance that his brash little brother will resist it. Sasuke would understand why. He'll be entering a clan he knows nothing about, in addition to giving up his surname. Sasuke would _hate _doing that. Especially because he only has a few things left from his mother, Rogue; his life, last name, and freckles. He never asked for the first one— His thoughts are disrupted by his brother's grabby hands, which he quickly blocks.

Sasuke smirks and lifts one of the three plates of sandwiches he made and settles down at the table. His brother is quick to copy and soon they're up to their elbows in sandwiches. Luffy's mouth goes slack when he bites into one with peanut butter, making the elder smile. Sasuke managed to use all the peanut butter in a rather impressive amount of combinations, including bananas, honey, jelly, celery, and raisins. His brother eagerly starts trying all of them, eyes wide with delight at the new taste and texture.

"What is this?" Luffy asks through a mouth of food.

"It's called peanut butter." Sasuke takes a bite of a celery and peanut butter sandwich. Even after the first few bites, he already feels better with food in his stomach. The two plow through most of the sandwiches in minutes.

"I gotta get Sanji to make this for me," Luffy says after a while as he struggles to swallow a large glob of chewed food.

Sasuke's hands hesitate on the way to his mouth. "About that . . . Luffy I don't know how much you understand about everything that's happened."

Luffy furrows his brow and slows his eating pace. "Uhm, you sent us here on accident. And you need help to get us back? From that mean lady?"

"Almost, but not quite." Sasuke finishes his last sandwich and runs a hand through his messy hair. "I explained about techniques and clan techniques, right? Well there is only one known technique that can traverse space and time, and it's the Mangekyou Sharingan."

Luffy nods to show he's following along, even if he doesn't know where his brother is going with this.

"So to get back we have to use the Mangekyou. The problem is that I've never used this technique before coming here, so I have no clue how it works."

"Oh, so we need to find someone else who has it!" Luffy grins. It falters when the look in his brother's eyes grows complicated.

"Luffy," Sasuke says slowly. He sighs before continuing. "I'm the only one left from my clan. There _is_ no one else who has the ability." Not the entire truth, but true enough.

Luffy's eyes go comically wide. "Did they die waiting for you to come back?!"

Sasuke snaps forward and smacks his brother over the head before exclaiming with shark teeth. "You idiot, that isn't how it works! Clans don't go extinct like that, they aren't cats! Besides, how long do you think I've been gone?!"

"Ahh . . ." Luffy makes a short sound of understanding, and Sasuke just resists facepalming.

"Alright, look, the rest of the Uchiha were killed a long time ago." Sasuke exhales.

Luffy's eyes go wide and sober at the information, before he can say anything else, Sasuke continues.

"What this means though, is that I have to study the books in the clan library. If we want to go home, I need to figure this out."

"Reading."

"Basically."

Luffy frowns, but nods.

"The only reason I have access to any protection offered by the village from other villages— uh." At Luffy's bemused look, he pauses. "Well, there are multiple other major villages. The relationships between them are pretty unstable and they tend to battle a lot unless there are treaties, and even then there's still a competition going on. It's . . . it's kind of like different pirate ships. They aren't always against each other, but if there's an opportunity to show another crew up, they'll take it." Completely simplified explanation of the very complex socio-economic relationships between the villages. So basically, perfect for Luffy.

"Okay."

"I'm protected because I'm a member of a noble clan. I need this protection and stability so I have time to figure out a way back. And I . . ."

Luffy blinks, waiting for him to get to the point. Sasuke sighs inwardly, before laying it out on the table.

"I want to induct you into the Uchiha clan. That way you can gain the same rights I have. Which are important for keeping us alive and well here while I figure this out."

Luffy's face is twisted, like he's thinking especially hard about something.

"I understand if you aren't entirely sold on this, Luffy, but please consider it. For your own safety, I—"

"So this means we'd be brothers. Like officially officially?"

Sasuke blinks. He hadn't necessarily thought of it that way. But knowing Luffy as he does, his brother's interpretation isn't so startling. The Uchiha nods.

Luffy breaks out into a wide grin. "Cool! It'll be like exchanging another cup of sake! Except with words and paper and stuff."

Sasuke smiles, slowly, softly, wondering why he worried in the first place. Pulling out the folded papers from his shorts, he carefully flattens them out on the table, out of the way of the crumbs left over from their meal. After rummaging through one of the kitchen drawers for a moment, Sasuke finds a black pen. He passes it to his brother who eagerly pulls the papers forward. Typical of him, he skips all the small print and goes straight for the blank spaces. Before the tip of the pen finds the paper, Sasuke clears his throat.

With a meaningful glance from his brother, Luffy sighs and starts penning in the answers in his best handwriting that Sasuke spent months drilling into him when they were children. The elder of the pair is glad to see that the clean lines remain, despite the time that's passed since Luffy wrote like this (maybe since he last wrote at all. Seeing as he has a navigator who's just bossy enough to take the job of writing the logs into her own hands. He may well not be doing any of the pen work).

"What do I put for my home village? And why do they want to know my parents' names?"

"Ah." Sasuke forgot that Luffy is still a minor by civilian law. His origin story isn't going to fit neatly on the paper anyways.

"You can put my name as your guardian." Considering that he practically _raised_ Luffy, it isn't even a stretch of the truth. "You can put whatever you want for your home village. We can leave details like that for Tsunade to work out." His brother starts, only for Sasuke to cut him off again. "Wait, Luffy, put 'Sasuke' instead of 'Ace.' I don't know what Tsunade intends to do about our background story, but it's probably safer this way."

Luffy nods and proceeds. Once all the spaces are filled, Luffy lets out a small cheer. "Alright! Officially officially brothers! Break out the rum."

Sasuke snorts and ruffles his brother's hair. "It won't be official until we file it and get a meeting with the rest of the clan heads."

Luffy frowns and crosses his arms.

"Besides, I think both of us are too tired to party right now."

At the mere mention of it, the younger brother yawns widely. Sasuke smiles. After placing the dishes in the sink to do tomorrow, he guides his brother to his old room. Both of them ignore the dust that's settled in after however many years it's been. After quickly shaking it off the blankets on the bed, both he and Luffy fall under the covers.

He knows they'll have to change the sheets tomorrow, once they're clean. But for now, the soft springs of the mattress are all he's really concerned with. That and his brother, who rolls over so he's pressed against Sasuke's side. The elder lifts his arm, inviting the younger closer, trying to ignore the pain in his ribs. Predictably Luffy seizes the chance immediately, burrowing his head into Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke is just about to fall asleep, when soft words break the silence.

"I'm so glad Ace is alive."

And he feels dampness on his chest. Sasuke just clutches his brother tighter to him.

"I'm glad you're alive too." His tone turns more serious. "Never, ever, _ever _do something that reckless again." Because fuck, things were too close.

Sasuke waits for a response, but instead he receives snores. With a slight smile and a sigh, Sasuke surrenders himself to his exhaustion and slips away into dreams that are blessedly blank.

* * *

Sasuke wakes up slowly. The sun isn't up yet, but that isn't what wakes him. It's the unsettling stillness and quiet of the area. There's no steady rocking of the _Moby Dick _like he's used to, or the sounds of his nakama manning the ship, or even the ocean which is impossible to escape. He eventually opens his eyes, and is greeted by the sight of his little brother curled up against his side. Over his head he sees white sheets and a blue duvet. He's confused for a moment because he can't remember the last time he slept in a legitimate bed. Everything comes back to him. Sasuke closes his eyes and wishes he could go back to sleep for the next few weeks. Now that he's awake though, all the thing he needs to take care of fill his mind and won't leave him alone. So reluctantly, he slowly gets out of bed, careful not to wake his brother. After everything Luffy's been through in the past 48 hours, it won't surprise Sasuke if he sleeps for the next few days even. As he stands fully and the aches set in, he remembers that he hasn't had the easiest time either. They weren't remotely caring of emphatic in Impel Down, and Sasuke has his own bruises and pain to consider.

He starts doing a few stretches to soothe some of the knots in his muscles. Sasuke knows time will be the best healer, so he heads to the kitchen for a little breakfast. Toast and fruit should do for now. Maybe he'll make a proper breakfast tomorrow. At the moment he just wants to get things somewhat arranged. After putting the bread in the toaster, Sasuke grabs one of the large watermelon from their supply and cuts it evenly in half. He takes one of the halves for himself before covering the other and placing it in the fridge. As he eats, he looks outside the window. The sun is just rising now, but Sasuke is aware that the ninja population of the town have already been up for several hours. He can sense he still has two little tag-alongs, crouched in the trees. Whatever. He doesn't care what they do. If they want to waste their time on him, they're free to. As long as they don't do anything to Luffy.

Breakfast is pretty small, but he's planning on having a much bigger lunch later on. He wonders if Luffy will be up by then. Probably not.

Sasuke sighs and runs a hand through his messy dark hair before he pauses. He can shower. He can take a shower now however long he wants and as often as he wants. It's been a long time since he's had that luxury. He has a proper ofuro, but a shower sounds just about right at the moment.

With that in mind, he taps on his shoes and heads out to one of the other houses in the compound. No point in showering if he's just going to change back into his same dirty clothes. With that in mind, he heads to Michiru and Hotaka's house. They had two kids around Sasuke and Luffy's ages. After gathering up some clan attire for later on and plenty of plain black tees and shorts for now, he heads back to his temporary living space and hangs them in the closet, throwing his old clothes that are way too small to the side.

Grabbing a tee-shirt, a pair of black cargo shorts and boxers, he heads to the bathroom. He mentally crosses his fingers as he turns on the faucet. He's rewarded by a rush of cold water, which slowly begins to heat up. After eagerly stripping, he ducks under the showerhead and lets the hot water warm his back.

He stays under the shower for hours, long after the hot water runs out. By that point, he just heats up his skin, making the cold water droplets evaporate on impact.

Four hours pass before he finally gets out of the shower. After drying himself with his Devil's Fruit, Sasuke pulls on the plain black clothes, knowing the clan clothes are off limits for the moment in case anyone sees him. Besides, he's unexpectedly ambivalent towards wearing his clan symbol again . . . he has a new symbol for his family. With that in mind, he pulls off the black shirt he put on a few moments ago and leaves it on the bathroom sink. His pauses when he exits the steamy bathroom because he senses Luffy in the kitchen. Evidently awake and eating.

"Luffy, you're awake," he remarks with no small surprise. His brother is sitting at the table, facing him and stuffing his face with fruit.

"Luffy?"

No reply. His brother doesn't even jerk. It's then that Sasuke realizes that Luffy's eyes are closed. Could he be . . .

Sasuke waves a hand in front of his face. No response. "Sleep eating," he utters aloud before shaking his head. "You're one of a kind, Lu."

Curiously, Sasuke goes to the fridge and pulls out the other watermelon half and then retrieves a spoon from his drawer. He catches one of his brother's hands on its way to snagging another apple, and places the spoon in it, before placing the watermelon in front of him. Without a single hitch in the movement, Luffy attacks the watermelon with relish. Sparing a smile, Sasuke sits with his brother for a little while, watching the little idiot eat. Partially to make sure he doesn't choke, and also because he still can't believe both he and Luffy survived that massacre. Considering where they ended up though, well, it came at a price. His little brother living is worth the massive headache being back in Konohagakure brings. Spending time with his brother is enough to soothe his mind for a while, even if the younger isn't conscious.

Eventually, Luffy slows his eating before stopping all together. Sasuke decides to guide him back to the bed to continue sleeping.

Finally, with Luffy fed and sleeping beneath the duvet, and his own basic needs sated, Sasuke decides to head to the clan library and see what he can uncover about the Mangekyou. The stone walls lining the stairs down are familiar. He came down here hundreds of times when he was younger, pouring over the books and scrolls to find a jutsu strong enough to kill—

He shakes the thoughts away, but faintly appreciates the irony that he's now down here to _save _a different brother.

The stairs deposit him at the entrance of the Uchiha library, a medium cavernous room with shelves and scroll chambers lining the walls. Sasuke knows this place like the back of his hand so he heads straight to the far corner of the room. With a thought, fire ignites the hanging lanterns and candles in the room, sending shadows scattering across the floor. When he reaches the closed doors of the special cupboards on the wall, it feels like a strange out of body experience. When Sasuke was seven, he could never imagine getting old enough to open these doors. He anticipated getting strong enough to challenge Itachi by the time he was also 14, and then likely dying in the battle. It didn't matter. He just wanted to (prove he was worth the effort) avenge his clan. Years later, after he left the village, he never saw himself coming back to this place that held such bad memories. It would be the ultimate admission of weakness for him to return to the village; it would mean that he hadn't given up his vengeance. Now here he stood, years away from both of those people. He knows neither of them could ever have imagined any of what he had become— cheerful, protective, self-sacrificing, and downright _friendly. _

Luffy will do that to a person.

Lifting his thumb to his mouth, Sasuke bites off a bit of skin. Blood immediately wells up, and he spreads it over the clan seal on the door in a single motion. Then, he places his hand on top of the line of blood and puts a little chakra into it. A clicking sound rewards his efforts and the two doors slowly open.

Sasuke doesn't know whether to be relieved or exhausted to find so much material in there. The majority are thick, detailed journals. Sasuke remembers how long it took to pour through tomes and scrolls like these in the past. Hopefully it won't be so slow going this time now that he's older. . . but there are several dozen books and manuscripts, and he knows the language will only become tougher and more elaborate. His planning for the long term will likely pay off by the looks of things. It may be more than a few months until he and Luffy find a way home, until they find their ways back to their crews. Doubt and worry gnaws at his mind for his nakama. So many were dying when he left. His sudden disappearance, probably had an even worse effect. If only he had ignored Akainu! If he hadn't turned around, none of this—

He— he can't afford to consider that at the moment. One thing at a time, Sasuke reminds himself, as he gathers a medium stack of books and goes towards one of the lanterns to read.

Sasuke feels a combination of amusement and exasperation as he examines his selections. Some of these readings are from _centuries _ago, back when the Uchiha clan was still a wandering, mercenary group. The Uchiha's collection of such dated material is astonishing to Sasuke.

Thankfully, this does mean he has several accounts to read throughout history. More importantly, many seem to be written during the wars with the Senju clan. That messier version of life, unlike the peaceful era that ensued after they formed Konohagakure, is more conducive to the Mangekyou. Though it was an absolute rarity, it did still happen during Sasuke's lifetime. In missions, sometimes shinobi had to choose to let their best friend or comrade die. In addition, there were infiltration or spying missions in disguise that went wrong. Some a ninja were unable to defend themselves against unsavory people and their advances for the sake of keeping their cover— No, it wasn't impossible, but possessing the Mangekyou was looked down on just as much as it was envied. In the warring era, there was less shame about gaining the eyes. He read a journal about one individual who killed his best friends during a raid just to obtain the eyes. Sasuke wishes he could call that man sick and twisted, but he remembers that sensation (and there was a particular sensation for it) of preparing oneself to kill their best friend, needing to, _wanting _to . . . But that doesn't apply to Sasuke anymore. He isn't that person. Though the repetition of that theme does wear on him as time goes on.

In the older texts, there are a moderate amount of diaries with details about a member gaining their Sharingan. The main focus of all those manuscripts tends to be on how the member obtained the Mangekyou. As mean as it is to say, Sasuke doesn't really care about their trauma, about who killed who, and which member fucked and betrayed the other. He does acknowledge that this information should be kept under an age seal. Shinobi or no, twelve year olds can't understand the reoccurring themes of sex and death— and how often they coincide.

Though he has plenty of examples of how they gain the special ability, none of the journals he's read say anything about travelling dimensions, which is one of the main facets of the Mangekyou Sharingan. Sasuke supposes not many go dimension-hopping like he does . . . or they did and could never get back to finish their journal— That's an unpleasant and unproductive thought, so he pushes it to the side.

While skimming a rather uninformative account about twin brothers who were both in love with the same woman, something comes over Sasuke. His hair stands on end and his body tenses. He knows this feeling all too well— it's the familial sixth sense he developed after the bear attack all those years ago. Sasuke's brotherly awareness is sending alarms through his mind. Sure enough, he hears a cry from above the library, followed by loud, violent smashing.

"Ace!"

Dropping the book immediately, Sasuke jumps to his feet and dashes up the stairs.

"Luffy?" he calls, looking around for the source of the noises. Shinobi can't be attacking, can they? How can any of his enemies know he's returned? Unless Tsunade sold them out, but that isn't a logical choice for her to make! Unless she's made some misconception about him, or he hurt Sakura or Naruto— well, then she'd be here shouting and fighting, but he doesn't hear her angry words. So what _is _happening?! Multiple scenarios go through his mind, but as he's running about the house, through a window he catches a glance of his brother in the backyard area. In moments, he's slamming the sliding door open and entering the yard.

Debris from what were once at least half a dozen of old, large trees are scattered around the area. Their stumps have jagged edges, like the trunks were ripped off in a single, harsh motion. Large craters litter the once perfectly green grass, and Sasuke is searching for enemies, for something! What he finds is worse though. His brother is kneeling on the ground, slamming his head against the dirt beneath him. His hands are bloody and the bandages are torn up and Sasuke understands the awful truth of what happened to the yard.

A few meters away from the brothers, Sasuke spies a dog Anbu and one wearing a deer mask with kunai pulled up protectively. He wants to tell them off, to break their chests in for intruding on him and his brother, but he wants Luffy to stop hurting himself more. Sasuke's heart is _breaking._

"Go away! Go away," Luffy pleads as smashes his abused head on the ground again. "Stop remembering! Stop remembering!"

"Luffy, stop!" He nearly slams into his brother he's going so fast. Sasuke grabs Luffy by the forearms and drags him up and away from the ground.

"A—Ace." As Luffy makes eye-contact with him, Sasuke can see the wide-eyed expression of shock, utter relief, and anxiety on his face. "I— I thought you died."

"Shh, shh," Sasuke immediately grabs his brother and hugs him, one hand automatically going towards his head so he can pet his hair. The second commander curses himself fervently even as terrible anxiety and self-loathing try to swallow him. He shouldn't have left his brother to wake up alone. Even if the research needs to be done, he should've made sure Luffy was okay first, instead of abandoning him to wake up alone in a strange new place after witnessing a war and several near-death experiences. "I'm alright, Lu. I'm right here."

His brother doesn't seem to hear him, and pulls away to stare at him with blatant disbelief. "I saw you die. Akainu got you. Your beads . . ." Luffy grasps the red necklace with a dazed expression. "Your necklace broke, and beads were falling everywhere. They rolled all over the place. In your blood—It was everywhere— All over my hands—"

"Stop talking like that," Sasuke says, more urgently this time. Luffy is frightening him.

"Your vivre card disappeared. It went up in ashes and I— I couldn't do anything." The haunted expression on his face is startlingly genuine. Sasuke might believe his brother is reliving an actual event if he didn't know better.

"Luffy, I'm here, we're fine. We escaped. We're— we're going to find a way out of here and get back to our crews, our nakama." He grips his brother so tightly, he's sure bruises will form, but he needs Luffy to wake up.

"Yeah, right . . ." Luffy murmurs, losing his feverish energy. His eyes slowly refocus on the present, but solemnity takes root in his eyes instead and the return to stability doesn't comfort the older teen as much as he wishes it did.

When Sasuke feels comfortable that his brother won't start hurting himself again, he removes his hands from Luffy's shoulders and slides them gently down to his hands. The bandages Tsunade so expertly applied the previous day are in shreds. New scrapes cover the already damaged appendages, and blood slowly drips down the length of his fingers in an unpleasant and irregular pattern. Sasuke turns his brother's wrists over with concern. His hands were pretty bad before, even with the treatment Tsunade gave his brother. Now Sasuke suspects it may be a while until his brother regains full usage again. He wants to scold Luffy for doing this to himself, because he's such an _idiot—_ but his brother is still too solemn. And Sasuke doesn't know if he can really blame Luffy for a nightmare he never intended to have. He still shouldn't have hurt himself though. That's the concerning part for Sasuke.

He needs to talk with his brother, but before that . . .

His black eyes flicker up to the two Anbu who, while they have relaxed their posture, still watch the brothers with their impassive masks.

"Go. Away."

"Uchiha-san." Deer takes the lead, stepping forward slightly. "We were merely investigating."

"Good job. Now leave."

Both of them remain planted, making Sasuke's ire rankle.

"Are you _deaf? _Or maybe just stupid?" Sasuke snarls. "Considering you were assigned to baby-sitting duty, I imagine I'm looking at the bottom of the barrel._"_

The dog Anbu bristles. It's not obvious by any stretch of the imagination, most _ninja_ wouldn't even notice. Sasuke isn't most ninja, and his eyes and analytical abilities have always been his greatest attribute. It seems the dog Anbu doesn't possess his partner's control, but beyond that, the reaction to the insult tells Sasuke that he's standing in front of at least one of his former classmates. Combining the reaction to his jab, the spiky brown hair, and the give-away Anbu mask, the answer is pretty clear.

"Kiba." Sasuke lets his lip curl. His words earn him the slightest of stiffening in surprise from the dog Anbu. "You are so obvious. I can't believe you haven't been assassinated yet."

"Y—" The dog Anbu gets ahold of himself quickly enough, but the flare in his chakra confirms what Sasuke already knows.

"Everything's fine now. Go back to crouching in the trees, or better yet, find something better to waste your time on, like training. You need it, Kiba."

Still, they remain where they are.

Sasuke's about to rip into them again, maybe physically (he doesn't know), but a nin-dog appears on the branch beside Kiba. Though he's considerably larger than Sasuke remembers, the white fur and similar markings let him know that the animal is unquestionably Akamaru. The dog barks something unintelligible to Sasuke, but it makes Kiba nod. Deer catches the signal and speaks.

"Uchiha-san, the Hokage wishes to see you and your brother at the moment."

"No."

"The Hokage is requesting your presence," Kiba says with an undercurrent of a threat.

Sasuke levels him with narrow eyes. "You're welcome to try and force me, Kiba. But if you or Akamaru try to attack me or my brother, I'll burn all your fur off."

"Uchiha-san." Deer interjects before communications can deteriorate any further. "Lady Hokage wishes to treat his wounds personally. She realizes that she doesn't want either of you going to the public hospitals for the moment. Besides, if you don't get him excellent treatment as quickly as possible his hands may be irreparably damaged. You don't want to risk that."

Like Kiba, this puzzle isn't hard.

"Shikamaru."

_Un_like Kiba, his other classmate doesn't so much as twitch.

"Let the Godaime help your brother. The Hokage is the only one qualified to fix this damage, and the only one who will help you without any proper identification."

Sasuke grits his teeth. Shikamaru is as unwaveringly logical as he recalls. The Nara heir was one of the few peers he could bear as an academy student, and Sasuke— well, it wasn't admiration, but he appreciated and respected the other shinobi's mental prowess (though Shikamaru rarely applied it). From the looks of it he made Anbu, so it seems he grew out of some of his lazier habits. Then again, if Kiba got in, who knows how lax the standards have gotten. Still, Shikamaru does have a point.

"Fine."

"Can you shunshin?" the Nara heir asks.

Sasuke hesitates, before reluctantly shaking his head. "I'm out of practice."

"Then you'll side-shunshin like your brother."

How irritating. Sasuke could run to the tower and make it there in decent time, but he doesn't want his brother alone with the Anbu longer than he has to be.

"Luffy, go with Shikamaru. He's the one with the deer mask." He gestures to the Anbu.

His little brother gives him a torn look. "Ace—"

"I'll be right there. Go," he says in his no-argument, older-brother voice. Even if Luffy seems uncertain, he goes to Shikamaru's side.

"I suppose I should be _honored_ you've chosen me, Uchiha-_san,_" Kiba utters with a sneer.

"I'd rather Luffy get treatment as quickly as possible. I'm not entirely sure you can get us there in one shot." And while it's true he doesn't trust Kiba's shinobi skills as much as Shikamaru's (Kiba _was _next to dead last, making him only better than his blond teammate, which isn't saying much at all), but Kiba's already proven he holds a grudge against Sasuke. While not unfathomable as to why, he'd rather trust his brother to the level-headed Shikamaru. After taking Luffy's arm, Shikamaru makes a hand sign and they disappear

"I should take my time just to spite you," Kiba mutters as he reluctantly grabs Sasuke's elbow.

"That wouldn't be very professional for an Anbu."

Sasuke smothers a small smile, maintaining his impeccably cool façade even though he can practically feel Kiba's glare through the dog mask. With a hand sign, they appear in front of the Hokage's office door where Luffy and Shikamaru are already waiting. After stepping away from Kiba his brother immediately gravitates to Sasuke's side, eyes still blank and solemn.

Shikamaru taps the door once.

"Enter," comes from inside the office.

After Shikamaru opens the door and all of them filter in, Kiba enters last and closes off their exit behind him. Seriously, Sasuke _knows _what their situation is already. He's their prisoner, he's only here because they're letting him, he has no rights, blah, blah, blah. He doesn't even want to be here in the office right now, but Shikamaru has a point. Sasuke doesn't doubt Luffy's ridiculously resilient constitution, but his body isn't really in the best shape altogether at the moment. After the poison and whatever _treatment _this 'Iva-chan' gave his brother, his body is recovering from multiple extreme afflictions all at once.

Tsunade is seated behind her desk which, as usual, is covered with loose papers and a couple sake bottles. Thankfully, Sakura is not by her sensei's side like last time, which is a huge relief for Sasuke. He knows she'll confront him eventually, but he'd rather his teammate stay out of his business as much as possible.

The Hokage's eyes scan over Luffy and Sasuke impassively before she sighs and waves her hand in dismissal.

"Leave us," Tsunade orders. Shikamaru and Kiba vanish from sight, though not out of Sasuke's range of senses. "Come over, and let me take a look at you."

After glancing over at Sasuke, Luffy walks up slowly to Tsunade, with a frankly unexcited look on his face. Clearly he hasn't forgotten or forgiven Tsunade's violence, and her little threat of execution. Oh well, Sasuke will just have to explain that while distrust of the leader is both acceptable and wise, she's still their biggest supporter at the moment. They'll need her backing and clout in the long run. Sasuke smiles a little faintly. He trusts Luffy to get under her skin eventually though. Which is good, because Sasuke doubts there's anything he can personally do to endear her to them.

Tsunade makes a short sound of displeasure as she gives the younger brother a once over.

"How did you manage to do this?" she asks, but Luffy remains stubbornly silent.

Sasuke hedges. "He had a bad dream and . . . reacted badly."

"Badly isn't quite how I'd describe it," Tsunade says bluntly, her hands reaching for Luffy's head. As she tilts it side to side carefully, her sharp eyes take in every dirty scrape and shallow cut. "Deer and Dog reported through Akamaru that he was rather violent."

"If you already knew, why did you ask?" Sasuke asks, torn between irritation and weariness.

"I wanted to hear how you'd describe it."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes," she says, and explains nothing further. After applying some antiseptic and a couple jutsu, Luffy's head is clean and clear of injury.

"I'd be grateful your brother's made of rubber. He'd have severe cranial damage otherwise, or, in the best case scenario, a serious concussion.

"You have _no i_dea," Sasuke murmurs, earning him the smallest of grins from the Hokage. Luffy pouts, but the expression reassures Sasuke more than it irks him. Too soon, the look drops from Luffy's face as Tsunade starts working on his hands. He bites his lip to keep quiet as she starts cleaning the area with antiseptic.

"How are his hands?" Sasuke asks, not quite able to keep the worry from his voice.

Tsunade turns her face away from the green glow of her jutsu. "Well, he undid all my work from yesterday."

"Will he regain his mobility?"

"So long as he doesn't do this kind of damage again while he's still in this fragile state, he should achieve full-use."

"I see." Relief is the only feeling in his body. If his brother lost his hands because he rescued Sasuke, the older teen doesn't know how he'd bear it. He sharpens his gaze and stares intently at his brother. "Do you understand, Luffy? Don't do something like this again _ever_, don't hurt yours—" Sasuke pauses. "I'll be there so you won't wake up like that again, but when I'm not, please don't."

"I wasn't trying to," Luffy mumbles, visibly uncomfortable. His eyes roam all over the room, but studiously avoid Sasuke's gaze. "I saw you die, and it wouldn't leave my mind. I was just trying to get it to shut up."

"I'm here, Luffy. I haven't left. I'm still here."

"But it was _so _close. It seemed like they were gonna kill you and I was too far away when it was happening, and again, and again, and I was worried that it would be this time, the next time, and I still wasn't close! And I had the key, and then the key broke. It was—"

Too aware of their audience, Sasuke grabs his brother's chin and makes Luffy face him.

"I'm here. It's alright, Luffy," he says seriously, intently. Water gathers on the edges of his brother's eyes

"I know that." Luffy tears his gaze away and wipes his face. "Sorry. I know, men don't cry."

"It's okay," Sasuke says softly. Thankfully, Tsunade has the good grace to merely continue working on Luffy's hands, despite the drama happening above her head. Sasuke releases his brother's face, and stands back and waits.

After working on his palms and fingers for a long while, all of which is spent in silence, she wraps his hands again with more bandages this time. She stands and returns to her desk. Sasuke is about to excuse the two of them and attempt to forget this whole terrible event when the Hokage speaks.

"Sasuke, as your brother's temporary physician, I recommend that he sees a psychologist while he's here."

Sasuke gives Tsunade a stunned look.

"What?" he utters, unusually ineloquent.

"What's a cyclopsigist?"

Tsunade looks like she wants to examine Luffy's head again and Sasuke would normally be amused, but he's still stuck on the leader's words.

"Psychologist," he corrects eventually. "They're people you tell your problems to. They give you advice."

"Why would I do that?!" Luffy asks, completely bemused.

"That's my question," Sasuke says with narrow eyes.

"It's ridiculous that you're asking me that." Tsunade stares down at him with a hard gaze. "Isn't is obvious? Your brother is suffering from PTSD."

There's a long beat of silence.

"What?" the younger brother asks.

"Luffy, leave the room." Sasuke is barely keeping his tone under control. How _dare _she presume to know anything about them, about their lives! She has no clue, no right to say something like that about Luffy. He's— he'll be okay soon. It's natural after everything they went through with the war—

. . . He just needs some time to adjust.

The younger teen pauses for a moment before shaking his head. "No."

"This is _not _the time to argue with me, Luffy!" he snaps.

"No," Luffy states again, stronger, more forcefully. "I won't leave. This is about me, right? So I should be in the room."

"Luffy, you don't understand what—"

"Exactly. I don't understand. Which is why I need to be in here," Luffy says firmly and simply. Sasuke opens his mouth, but his little brother cuts him off. "Ace. If I'm old enough to go out into the world and make a name for myself, I'm old enough to listen to what the mean lady has to say about me. "

"That's Lady Tsunade or Hokage-sama to you, brat." Her brow twitches tetchily.

"I—" Sasuke sometimes forgets that his brother is a captain in his own right. "Alright."

"Good," Luffy says. "So what's PS3D?"

"PTSD," Tsunade corrects, shaking her head. "It stands for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder."

"What's that?"

"It's a mental affliction triggered by overwhelming and distressing events," the Hokage begins. Sasuke cuts her off. She'll lose Luffy in five seconds if she carries on like that.

"When something really traumatic —really _bad _happens— sometimes people have extreme anxiety about it afterward. They might have flashbacks about the event, or have panic attacks. Sometimes they dream about the event."

"But that's normal, right?" Luffy asks, bemused. "It happens to all of my nakama sometimes when bad stuff happens."

Sasuke's eyes narrow on the Hokage. "It _is _normal, especially after some very distressing events."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem, Luffy," Tsunade says. "Is that you are at high risk for developing PTSD. I admit that you perhaps don't have the full disorder yet, but it's only a matter of time."

"What makes you so sure?" Sasuke asks darkly.

"War." Tsunade doesn't look pleased even as Sasuke winces minutely. "You said you both came from a war. That's enough distress for one event, but to have a total change of setting, to virtually enter another _world, _is enough to tip anyone over the edge. Without familiarity, the road to mental stability is difficult to say the least."

Sasuke . . . Sasuke didn't consider the implications them coming here might have on Luffy's healing psyche.

Tsunade starts putting away the remaining bandages and antiseptic into her desk drawer as she talks. "Beyond that, he's separated from his . . . nakama, was it?"

Luffy's lips purse unhappily at her words.

"Cut off from everything familiar plus exiting a war zone? That is a breeding ground for an anxiety disorder."

"He's dealt with stuff like this before."

"I seriously doubt he's dealt with war," Tsunade challenges, shutting the desk drawer with a click. "I know soldiers when I see them. Your brother is a civilian, Sasuke, his mind isn't equipped to deal with those kinds of stressors."

"But I am," Sasuke counters. "I know how to deal with shell-shock, I can help him work through it naturally."

"You were in denial of it five minutes ago." Tsunade laces her fingers and glares. "You downplayed and minimized the severity of what happened at the compound when I asked you. You don't _want _this to be a problem."

"Maybe I don't want you to get into our business," he growls. "I intended to talk to him about it."

"Do you think your little brother will feel comfortable opening up all of his problems with you? Do you think he'll want to worry his older brother?"

"Better to worry me this way that worry me with the fact that someone is going to try and extort him for knowledge about out world!" Does she think he's an idiot?

"What am I going to do with that knowledge? It isn't like I can go there and try to invade!" she points out sarcastically. "You're arguments don't stand up."

That isn't the point at all. "It isn't your business! It's between Luffy and I, end of story!"

Tsunade looks about ready to break all the furniture in the room. "Sasuke, you _can't _help. You're already stressed enough for the both of you!"

Luffy looks incredibly guilty and Sasuke wants to shake him because that doesn't mean he still can't be here for Luffy. He's stressed but it's okay for _him _to be stressed. Not Luffy. It can't be Luffy.

"It isn't as serious as you're making it out to be. I can help him manage it!"

"The moment Luffy seems well enough, you'll let it go." Her expression turns from heated to frosty cold. "Because if he's messed up, it means you've failed."

Sasuke flinches and pales, barely holding back the squall of emotions roiling in his body. She's poking into his wounds with her long finger nails, and she knows it.

"War. Do you really understand what that means? You should be trying to get your brother as much help as possible just in case. But no, you're stewing in denial," Tsunade accuses.

"I _can _help him," Sasuke tries again.

"If this conversation shows anything, it's your inability to do just that, and your incredible selfishness. You're denying your brother treatment he _needs _because your ego can't handle it." She glares at him imperiously." You're poison. You are poison, Sasuke. Even when you try to help you just hurt. Your prolonged exposure will only do more damage. It's the exact same as before! You haven't changed at all! It's the same way you hurt Sakura and Na—"

"Shut up!"

Tsunade and Sasuke both stare at the youngest teen with surprise.

Luffy's arms are trembling, and his eyes are filled with raw emotion.

"Shut up! You don't know what you're saying! He's the best sibling ever! You don't know what it is to be a good big brother—"

"How _dare _you assume!" Tsunade thunders. "I had a younger brother. I understand being an older sibling better than you will _ever _know!" Instead of cowing the sixteen-year-old, it brings new fire to his eyes.

"Then you know how much you're hurting him!" Luffy practically screeches. "You're saying all this stuff, and if you're a sibling, then you understand, you understand that it hurts. You know how it's gotta be making him feel! And you don't need to say stuff like this to make your point, but you are. You're saying it on purpose. So you're saying it just to hurt him? Why are you doing this?! You— You— You're so _mean. _You're just." Luffy takes deep gasping breaths. "So mean."

There's a long pause before Luffy speaks again, quieter.

"Don't use our bond to hurt him because you're hurt. It's cruel, you _mean _lady."

Tsunade falls back into her chair with a look so complex Sasuke can barely fathom it, and frankly he doesn't want to try. All he feels is a wave of love and affection for his brother. He immediately goes behind his little brother and hugs him. Then he positions his head over Luffy's shoulder to stare at the Hokage. He's silently challenging her, telling her to try and separate them, try and hurt them. They won't let her. They just won't let her.

He'll protect Luffy to the ends of the earth. And it's an older brother's duty, that's all there is to it. But Luffy has the capacity to protect him in ways he never previously thought he needed protection for. When it comes down to it, Luffy protects his mind and heart just as much as Sasuke protects him.

He wishes he could stay in this place of warmth and acceptance, but as he reflects on the entire conversation that led up to this wonderful moment, Sasuke sighs and releases his brother.

Frankly, this entire meeting has pretty much gone to shit. Sasuke thinks it's for the best if they leave without saying anything else. All of them have been hurt today, he thinks. Even Tsunade.

He takes Luffy's hand. Before he can pull his brother to the exit, Tsunade breaks the silence.

"I can see him on Wednesdays or Thursdays."

Sasuke and Luffy give her matching looks of incredulity.

"You seriously think I want to have therapy with you?" the younger brother asks in utter disbelief.

"No, I don't think you want to. I do think you _need_ to," Tsunade clarifies.

"Why do you even want to?" Sasuke asks. "Why are you pushing this so hard?"

"Luffy's a risk to himself and the village. If he'd gotten out of the compound the Anbu would have been forced to take precautionary action. None of us want that."

Sasuke tenses. She's threatening him. But he also knows it is a fair point. Still, no one gets to threaten his brother like that, regardless of how they phrase it.

"Why you though? You're mean," Luffy utters petulantly. Tsunade actually flinches at the insult, and Sasuke knows it's taken on a much deeper implication for her than the simple insult suggests.

"Well, I am the single person in Konohagakure who knows the extent of your stories. If you want him to find a stranger whose motives you won't be able to anticipate and who will question his sanity the entire time, be my guest," she offers dryly, regaining herself.

Tsunade has a point. He doesn't have a grasp on the intentions of anyone else in the village who could help his brother. Shinobi could potentially hurt him, especially if they find out that he's Sasuke's little brother. He can't take a risk like that and send Luffy to just anyone. The only other person who comes to mind is Sakura, and that is something he'll vehemently refuse to his dying day.

The Hokage continues. "A civilian is an unwise choice because your brother can be rather violent at times, and the things he'll have to discuss _won't _be pleasant. Having seen him blow up like this, I really think I'm the only one around equipped to deal with it. Especially with how he 'reacts badly' to traumatic dreams and memories." Tsunade mocks his earlier words.

After a pause, her gaze softens minutely. "Besides, you should be trying to keep yourself together. You were in a war too. Let someone else help your brother, just for a while."

And it's painful to hear, because he thinks that she might possibly, maybe, potentially have a point. He isn't ready to hear Luffy's issues. Because what Tsunade doesn't understand is that every single facet of Luffy's problems are Sasuke's fault. His brother is suffering from PTSD because he came to rescue Sasuke. He's locked in a strange new land away from his important nakama because of Sasuke. And his brother was _hurting himself _earlier, all because of Sasuke. And if he thinks about it too hard his chest tightens and he thinks he might start hyperventilating.

_because that's all you ever do is hurt and hurt those around you and no one can escape not even those who aren't close to you. you're a potent poison like snake venom. you can only dest—_

"Ace." Luffy pulls on Sasuke's hand, drawing him away from the painful thoughts. His little brother is troubled. He probably doesn't know what thoughts are racing around and tearing into the corners of Sasuke's mind, but his incredible emotional intelligence lets him intuitively see that something is very wrong. It also lets him know not to say anything and to, instead, hug Sasuke. The older brother wraps his arms around Luffy desperately. Because Luffy is still alive. He hasn't totally failed Sabo, hasn't totally failed himself. And . . . it's his job to make it better, even if it hurts.

"Ace." His little brother looks up at him. "Do you think I should see a cyclopsigist?"

Sasuke heaves a deep sigh before nodding his head. "Yeah. I think that's a good idea for now."

He looks towards the Hokage who has been watching them the entire time with her piercing brown eyes. The look on her face is complex, and Sasuke doesn't even have the energy to decipher it. What is clear to him though is, that while her henge remains as flawless as ever, Tsunade looks like she's aged considerably since they've been in the room. Sasuke knows the feeling.

"Wednesdays will work," Sasuke eventually mutters.

"Then bring him by around at three in the afternoon." She's really looking at Luffy, who gives her a huffy look.

"Okay," he says eventually.

The Godaime nods, face still unhappy and troubled. Sasuke thinks that none of them are happy in the slightest with the set-up. But isn't that his entire story being here? He does what he must for Luffy.

He always does.

* * *

Both brothers leave the Hokage's office utterly emotionally exhausted. Neither of them enjoy being in this state of mind at all. With their recent rash of traumatic events, they've been forced into this mindframe more and more. It's incredibly hard for Sasuke to be so emotionally unstable. It makes it difficult to think and ignites forests of self-loathing and doubt. He can't operate like this. For Luffy it's even harder, Sasuke is sure. Because Luffy is naturally cheerful, naturally bright. To continually force his happy disposition down with hardship and _pain _leaves him drowning, desperately grasping for something to hold on to. Sasuke knows that, sadly, if Tsunade does administer the psychotherapy correctly, his brother will leave the building feeling like this very often.

And it isn't right at all. Recently, it seems like everything isn't right at all.

So Sasuke steps into what is usually Luffy's role.

"Let's spar when we get back," he says easily, guiding his brother away from the red tower and towards the compound.

"Huh?" Luffy starts from his thoughts. "Oh. Okay!" He smiles, but it isn't wide enough for Sasuke's liking.

"If you're strong enough to be a challenge, I may even use some of my ninja jutsu."

That does the trick. "_Really?! _What kind of mystery ninja power do you have? Can you shoot stars from your eyes?!"

Sasuke grins.

"I can breath fire—"

"You can already do that," Luffy points out.

Sasuke pauses, completely stymied. Half of his repertoire was fire jutsu. That limits the amount of techniques he has considerably. "I forgot for a moment. Fire jutsu were sort of my favorite, but I guess I don't really need to use them anymore. Huh. Well, I can also summon lightning in my hand, and walk on water."

"Oooh!" Luffy exclaims with excitement. "Can you do that teleportation stuff too?"

"I used to be able to with no trouble, but I'm out of practice, and the shunshin jutsu needs a lot of control." Sasuke looks up towards the blue sky. "I really need to practice that skill. If I have to side-shunshin with Kiba again I'm going to jump off a bridge."

"Hmm, teleportation stuff will be awesome!" Luffy says.

The older brother grins. "When I master it, I can take you with me too. We can travel anywhere in Konohagakure in seconds, Lu."

"That is so cool!" Luffy shouts, drawing eyes from everyone else in the street.

Sasuke loves anonymity. They need some anonymity. In any other situation, Sasuke might say something to calm his over excited brother to preserve their anonymity— But in this instance, quenching that excitement is the last thing he wants to do, regardless of the irritation and headaches it will likely bring later on. No, he doesn't want to dim the bright spark of his brother. So instead he says,

"I can summon snakes too."

"SERIOUSLY?!"

* * *

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**Ahh, I couldn't help myself with the angst. I wanted a scene like this where Luffy freaks out like he did in canon after Ace's death. I have two other unposted OP fics that deal with that trauma in different ways. Since I will only ever write three, I had to put it in here. I kind of like it. The progression of events that lead them to Tsunade's office and the whole PTSD thing just sort of unraveled on their own. It all just seemed like the next logical steps. Idk. Also, S. Eve reminded me that Tsunade can be a prime character for Luffy interaction, so I want to implement her more into the story. Mm, and I'm not really a fan of Luffy just being okay so suddenly. In 3D2Y he definitely has PTSD dreams, so I feel like this is a canon reaction. The war really was fucking awful. Have you all read Warm Memories and Brotherly Bonds? The author writes out that scene and it's extremely realistic and painful. So you know, a rather dramatic scene above, but I feel not OOC.**

**Do you agree, or disagree? I'm curious to know.**

**On a non-angsty note, this also has my favorite funny bit of the fic so far, that being Luffy thinking the Uchiha died waiting for Sasuke to come back. It's so Luffy, I couldn't help myself.**

**Sasuke actually meets with other people and has awkwardly awesome conversations next time. So you know, stick around for that delightful discomfort.**

**Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you'd like! I'm very receptive to suggestions as a couple of you already know by this point!**


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